NASA's Artemis II mission signifies humanity's return to the moon, highlighting advancements since the Apollo program and addressing contemporary challenges in space exploration.

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. The world’s first lunar visitors orbited the moon on Apollo 8.

Like Apollo 8 in 1968, NASA's Artemis 2 mission from Florida will send a crew of astronauts around the moon and back without landing.

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. On Dec. 21, 1968, NASA’s Apollo 8 mission launched to the moon. Apollo 8 was the second crewed mission in NASA’s Apollo program. It was also the first mission to bring humans to the moon

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.

While I was leading a tour of the National Air and Space Museum in January 2026, a visitor posed this insightful question: “Why has it taken so long to return to the Moon?” After all, NASA had the know-how and technology to send humans to the lunar surface more than 50 years ago as part of the Apollo program.

NASA said Friday it’s revamping its Artemis moon exploration program to make it more like the fast-paced Apollo program half a century ago, adding an extra practice flight before attempting a high-risk lunar landing with a crew in two years. The overhaul ...