NASA head says Artemis II will pave the way for "astronauts planting the Stars and Stripes on Mars"

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said Artemis II, scheduled to launch Wednesday, will serve as a stepping stone toward landing astronauts on Mars. The mission involves a crewed flight around the moon, representing a critical test of NASA's Artemis program, which aims to return humans to lunar orbit and eventually to the lunar surface. Isaacman framed the mission as essential groundwork for the broader goal of establishing a sustained human presence on Mars. Artemis II follows the uncrewed Artemis I test flight and precedes Artemis III, which is expected to land astronauts on the moon. Success of the mission would demonstrate NASA's readiness to conduct complex crewed missions beyond low Earth orbit.