Reaching for the Moon and beyond 8 May 2026 NASA's Artemis II mission has put the Moon back in the spotlight, with humanity once again reaching for the stars. But our fascination with our closest celestial neighbour is as old as civilisation itself, writes Omara Williams Artemis II's Orion spacecraft heading to the Moon. Credit: NASA In April 2026, Artemis II carried astronauts around the Moon for the first time in more than half a century.