The United States is poised to send astronauts around the Moon for the first time in over five decades with Artemis II, marking a significant step in reviving human lunar exploration after a long hiatus since the Apollo era.
NASA's original lunar program, the Apollo program, ended in 1972 primarily due to budget constraints and shifting political priorities.
According to the New York Post, the agency had initially planned nine missions but was forced to cancel several as funding tightened.
A month after Apollo 12, a top aide to then-President Richard Nixon indicated limits on space spending, citing the president's lack of funds and need to accept limitations on space activity.
NASA's budget reportedly shrank by 15% soon after, while risks became more apparent following the near-disaster of Apollo 13.
With the US having already 'won' the space race against the Soviet Union, public and political interest declined, further reducing momentum for costly lunar missions.
The last human journey to the Moon took place during Apollo 17, which launched on December 7, 1972, with astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt becoming the last humans to walk on the lunar surface.
More than 50 years later, NASA is reviving lunar exploration through the Artemis program, driven by both scientific goals and geopolitical competition.
The renewed push comes amid growing advances by China, which has successfully landed robotic missions on the Moon and aims to send astronauts there by 2030.
Artemis II is a planned 10-day crewed mission that will send astronauts around the Moon without landing, testing critical systems and paving the way for a future lunar landing.
