Has Artemis II shown we can land on the Moon again?

Has Artemis II shown we can land on the Moon again?

Since its April 1st launch, NASA’s Artemis II mission has cleared all key checkpoints, with the rocket, spacecraft, and crew exceeding expectations in performance. The first six days of the mission have confirmed that the Orion capsule operates as intended when carrying humans, a milestone no simulation could replicate. The crew’s actions have sparked renewed confidence and enthusiasm for a planet seemingly in need of fresh inspiration.

However, the ultimate question lingers: Can NASA achieve a Moon landing by 2028, as promised by the agency and President Trump? This ambition gained new clarity after the Space Launch System (SLS) reached the launch pad at Kennedy Space Centre. Following two delayed launches in February and March due to technical glitches, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman criticized the SLS schedule, stating,

“Launching a rocket as important and complex as SLS every three years is not a path to success.”

He emphasized the need to shift from treating each rocket as a “work of art” to adopting a more consistent, mission-driven approach.

Orion’s performance has been nothing short of impressive. The SLS generated 8.8 million pounds of thrust at liftoff, meeting all engineering benchmarks. Each stage of the ascent, from maximum dynamic pressure to booster separation, was marked as “nominal” by mission control. Remarkably, two of the three planned trajectory adjustments were unnecessary, as the path to the Moon was already precise. Dr. Simeon Barber, a space scientist at the Open University, noted,

“Credit to them—they got it right the first time.”

Orion’s success hinges on its ability to handle human factors. After liftoff, the crew encountered minor challenges, such as a water dispenser malfunction and a helium system redundancy issue, both resolved swiftly. Dr. Barber highlighted that these incidents underscored the importance of human presence, stating,

“This is all about putting humans in the loop—these pesky humans that press buttons, breathe carbon dioxide, and demand air conditioning.”

Engineers monitoring systems like CO2 removal during rigorous tests have validated Orion’s reliability for lunar missions.

While scientific data is a key component, the mission’s focus remains on human experience. The crew documented over 35 geological features in real time, observed color variations hinting at mineral compositions, and captured a solar eclipse from deep space. Pilot Victor Glover described the event as “just looks unreal.” One standout image was the Orientale basin, a 600-mile crater on the Moon’s far side, viewed for the first time by human eyes. Despite these achievements, Professor Chris Lintott of Oxford, co-host of The Sky at Night, observed,

“The artistic value of the images is significant, but their scientific value is limited.”