Artemis II: A new space race to the moon?

NASA's Artemis II mission is launching Wednesday after months of delays for a crewed lunar flyby, marking the space agency's next step in returning humans to the moon. The mission represents a significant milestone in NASA's broader Artemis program, which aims to establish sustained lunar exploration and eventually support deeper space ambitions. Beyond the immediate goal of a moon flyby, the mission carries geopolitical weight as nations compete for leadership in space exploration and potential lunar resource access. Artemis II will test critical systems and crew capabilities needed for future moon landings, providing essential data before NASA attempts to land astronauts on the lunar surface in subsequent missions.