Artemis mission approaches lunar loop for first flyby since 1972
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Artemis II Crew Flies Past Moon for First Time Since 1972
Artemis II Crew Flies Past Moon for First Time Since 1972
Above: Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman peers out of one of the Orion spacecraft's main cabin windows on April 4, 2026. Image credit: NASA/Getty Images
The Spin
Artemis II is humanity's greatest leap since Apollo, with four astronauts venturing overmore than 200,000 miles into deep space and becoming the first humans to laysee eyes on the Moon's stunning Orientale basin. This mission proves America still leads the charge in exploration, pushing boundaries no human has crossed in more than five decades. The Moon isn't just getting closer — history is being made in real time.
Artemis II is a glorified nostalgia trip built on recycled shuttle parts and Apollo-era ambition — nothing genuinely new is happening here. Years behind schedule and billions over budget, this mission is a costly photo-op while veterans go homeless and infrastructure crumbles. Real progress demands radical new propulsion technology, not repackaged 1960s achievements dressed up as breakthroughs.
Metaculus Prediction
There's a 95% chance that NASA's Artemis II will complete its mission successfully before 2027, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
The Controversies
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© 2026 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 6.18.0
© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 6.18.0