NASA astronauts talk about returning to the lunar surface not as a nostalgic repeat of Apollo, but as a strategic necessity. They argue that the Moon is the only nearby world where humans have already walked, yet it still holds the keys to understanding the Solar System, building a space economy and preparing for Mars. In their view, going back is less about planting another flag and more about learning how to live, work and survive away from Earth for good.
The Moon as our closest deep space laboratory
Astronauts and mission planners increasingly describe the Moon as a scientific outpost hiding a record of the Solar System in plain sight. The rock samples brought home by Apollo showed that Lunar geology is essentially Solar System formation science, preserving how planets and even stars may form and evolve. Scientists now see that the far side, the polar craters and the deep subsurface, places Apollo never reached, could extend that record and reveal how impacts, volcanism and radiation shaped not just the Moon but the entire inner system.
That is why researchers describe The Moon as a gateway for science and exploration, not a dead rock. Learning about the Moon helps scientists understand how Earth and other planets in the galaxy form and evolve, and it offers a stable platform for telescopes that could peer into the early universe from radio-quiet regions on the far side. NASA’s own podcast hosts emphasize that the Apollo rocks are still driving new research, and that future cores and samples taken From the Moon will refine models of how stars and galaxies came together.
Artemis: not a rerun of Project Apollo
For astronauts training today, the central argument is that the new lunar program is fundamentally different from the 1960s sprint. People may know Artemis as NASA’s return to the Moon program, but it is much more than a rerun of Project Apollo. The Artemis missions are designed around long stays, repeated flights and a mix of crewed and robotic work that will test life support, power systems and surface mobility in ways Apollo never attempted.
NASA describes The Artemis effort in its official Artemis Plan as a driver of a broader space economy, fueling new industries and the demand for a highly skilled workforce. In parallel, NASA highlights that it is going to the Moon with commercial and international partners and is focused on building a sustainable, reusable architecture rather than a one-off series of landings. Astronauts see that shift as the difference between a stunt and a permanent foothold.
Artemis II and the step-by-step path back
The next crewed mission in this sequence, Artemis II, is deliberately framed as a test flight rather than a destination mission. Its primary objective is to demonstrate the key systems needed for later landings, from the Orion spacecraft’s life support to communications and navigation in deep space. If Artemis II succeeds, it will clear the way for surface expeditions that can focus on geology, technology and biological responses to space travel rather than basic survival.
Planners stress that Artemis 2 will be the first mission to carry humans toward the Moon since NASA’s Apollo program ended in 1972, a gap that underscores how little time humans have actually spent in deep space. The mission is also packed with science, as described in detailed previews that outline how Artemis II will carry experiments on radiation and other hazards outside Earth’s magnetic field. For astronauts, that combination of system checks and research is exactly why they argue the flight is an essential step rather than a detour.
Why astronauts insist the Moon comes before Mars
When astronauts explain why they “have to” go back, they usually start with Mars. NASA’s leadership has been explicit that its first flight with crew in this campaign is an important step on a long term return to the Moon and eventual missions to Mars. Astronauts know that although humans have been to the Moon before, the total time we have spent there is only about 12 days, a tiny fraction of what will be required for a multi year trip to the Red Planet. That is why program documents explicitly ask, Why we are going back to the Moon and answer that it is to prepare for eventual human trips to Mars.
NASA’s chief exploration scientist Jacob Bleacher has put it bluntly, describing Our Moon as a “celestial library right next door” that records billions of years of Solar System history. In the same discussion, Jacob Bleacher, who serves as NASA’s chief exploration scientist, explains that “Luna” offers a place to learn how to stay on another world before committing crews to Mars. Astronauts echo that logic, arguing that it is irresponsible to send people on a multi year journey without first mastering habitats, mobility and resource use a three day trip from home.
From “we’ve already been” to “we’re staying”
Public skepticism often centers on the idea that humanity has already checked the Moon off its list, a sentiment astronauts confront directly. Commentators note that While this new campaign is an impressive and historic effort, it leaves many wondering why we are going back when “we have already been.” Astronauts counter that the Apollo programme, which NASA’s Apollo programme succeeded in landing humans on the lunar surface, amounted to short visits that barely scratched the surface of what is possible.
New mission guides point out that “The Moon has a lot of resources that could be useful for future deep space exploration,” a line that appears in official explanations of why we are. NASA is explicit that it is going to the Moon to stay, building a sustainable, reusable architecture that includes surface habitats, mobility systems and a logistics chain. In a public discussion of NASA’s Plan to return, one astronaut remarks that “our generation appreciates having a program that now we get a chance to take our own moonshots,” capturing how crews see this as their era’s defining challenge rather than a museum piece.
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*This article was researched with the help of AI, with human editors creating the final content.
