Artemis Program: Return to the Moon (NASA, 2022–present)

Artemis I's 25-day, 2.1-million-km uncrewed test flight around the Moon marked the most powerful rocket launch in history, reinvigorating human space exploration. Using the Space Launch System, Artemis I outperformed #9's launch by being crew-rated, with Orion capsule systems validated for future astronauts. Artemis II will carry four astronauts on a lunar flyby by 2025, and Artemis III aims to land at the Moon's South Pole—targeting permanently shadowed craters with water ice confirmed by multiple orbiters, which could support a permanent base. This program is 30% cheaper than the Apollo era per mission, aiming for sustained presence as a stepping stone to Mars by the late 2030s, after a 50-year human absence.