NASA Artemis III Lunar Surface Landing

NASA's Artemis III landed astronauts near the lunar south pole in 2025—the first crewed Moon landing since Apollo 17 in 1972. The mission delivered the first woman and first person of color to the lunar surface, leveraging SpaceX's Starship as the lander. The crew collected 12 kg of ice-bearing regolith from permanently shadowed craters, 25% more than Apollo 17 returned. This landing is less expensive than the average of previous crewed lunar programs, accelerating plans for a permanent outpost and outpacing China's sample return in immediate crewed capability.