With the Artemis II launch ready for blast off on Wednesday, the US is looking to make its triumphant return around the moon for the first time in more than 50 years.

As four astronauts get set to blast off on humanity's first trip to the moon in more than half a century, comparisons between Apollo and NASA's new Artemis program are inevitable.

Going to the moon? Been there, done that — right? Some people might say that NASA's Artemis 2 mission is a repeat of the past, but they would be wrong.

NASA’s shift from Apollo to Artemis signals a new era of moon exploration centered on inclusion, sustainability and a long-term human presence beyond Earth.

This lesson details how NASA got from Alan Shepard rocketing into low orbit in 1961 to Neil Armstrong taking "one small step" on the lunar surface in 1969 and today's

A full moon is seen shining over NASA's SLS (Space Launch System) and Orion spacecraft, atop the mobile launcher in the early hours of February 1, 2026. For 53 years, since the end of the Apollo program, humans have only felt the pull of the Earth's gravity.

Four astronauts made a customary pre-launch appearance at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, April 1 in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (NASA via AP)