Following the resounding success of the Artemis II mission—marked by unprecedented views of the moon’s far side, a total solar eclipse seen from lunar orbit, and a new record distance for human spaceflight—NASA is now turning its focus to what comes next in its renewed push toward the moon.
Speaking at a celebratory homecoming event yesterday, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman highlighted the significance of the achievement while introducing Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen. “To people all around the world who look up and dream about what is possible, the long wait is over,” Isaacman said.
With the crew safely returned to Houston and reunited with their families after becoming the first humans in more than 50 years to travel to the moon, NASA is already advancing plans for Artemis III.
“The next mission’s right around the corner,” entry flight director Rick Henfling said after the crew’s Pacific splashdown on Friday.
As part of preparations for next year’s mission, Artemis III astronauts—who have not yet been named—will conduct docking exercises in Earth orbit, practicing the connection between their Orion capsule and a lunar lander. Private companies led by Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are competing to have their respective landers ready first.
SpaceX’s Starship and Blue Origin’s Blue Moon spacecraft are both in development as candidates for the Artemis IV mission, currently targeted for a 2028 moon landing. That mission is expected to send two astronauts to the moon’s south pole, an area believed to contain significant ice deposits that could support future habitation and fuel production as part of a proposed lunar base estimated to cost between $20 billion and $30 billion.
Hardware for the upcoming Artemis III docking test is already in place at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Meanwhile, SpaceX is preparing for another Starship test launch from South Texas, while a smaller version of Blue Moon is scheduled to attempt a lunar landing later this year.
NASA officials have indicated that the Artemis III crew will be announced “soon,” noting that the mission, much like Apollo 9 in 1969, is designed to reduce risks ahead of future moon landings.
Apollo 9 astronaut Rusty Schweickart recalled the experience of piloting the lunar module in Earth orbit as “a test pilot’s dream,” while acknowledging that “the real astronauts” in the public imagination were those who ultimately walked on the moon.
During their nearly 10-day journey, Wiseman and his crew openly shared emotional moments, reflecting on both loved ones they had lost and those awaiting their return on Earth.
At one point, the crew tearfully requested that a newly formed, bright crater on the moon be named after Wiseman’s late wife, Carroll, who passed away from cancer in 2020. They also expressed deep appreciation for one another and for Earth itself, describing it as a fragile and beautiful home that deserves greater care.
Artemis II marked several historic firsts, including the first woman, the first person of color, and the first non-American to travel to the moon.
“Wonderful communicators, almost poets,” Isaacman said from the recovery ship while awaiting the crew’s return.
The tone of the mission stood in contrast to the more reserved demeanor of Apollo-era astronauts, whose crews in the 1960s and 1970s were known for their all-business approach and did not engage in displays like group embraces.
For longtime observers of space exploration, the return to lunar missions has been deeply meaningful. Author Andy Chaikin compared the experience to waking from a decades-long slumber. “It’s amazing how far we’ve come and how different this experience is from back then,” he said during remarks at Johnson Space Center late last week.
NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya said one of the most challenging aspects of the mission was balancing the emotional connection to the astronauts and their families with the risks involved. He closely followed Friday’s reentry alongside family members.
“You know what’s at stake,” Kshatriya said. “It’s going to take risk to explore, but you have to make sure you find the right line between being paralyzed by it and being able to manage it.”
After reuniting with his daughters, Wiseman addressed fellow astronauts at yesterday’s celebration, urging them to prepare for the next phase of exploration.
“It is time to go and be ready,” he said, pointing toward them. “because it takes courage. It takes determination, and you all are freaking going and we are going to be standing there supporting you every single step of the way in every possible way possible.”