In Greek Mythology, Artemis is the Goddess of the Moon and twin sister of Apollo, the Sun God. In 1969, Neil Armstrong first set foot on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission. After 11, Apollo 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17 successfully landed on the lunar surface. Since then, manned spaceflight has been mainly focused on the International Space Station. This mission is possibly the most symbolic endeavor since Apollo 11.

There is an incredible amount of symbolism in the mission patch alone (Right). The overall shape and silver color are representative of an arrowhead shot from Artemis’ Bow, both items are said to have been made from moonlight. The A also is symbolic of an arrow and represents launch. The red trajectory is symbolic of the red color of Mars, which is the next step in the program. The line also goes left to right through the A which is the opposite as on the Apollo Mission Patch, symbolizing our return to the moon and beyond. The blue crescent symbolizes our starting point, Earth, us looking on from Earth, and the curve of Artemis’ Bow. It is not a coincidence that the bow appears to be shooting an arrow (the A) towards the moon, and eventually, further into the unknown.

Another one of the main goals of this mission is to put the very first woman on the moon. The patch to the left is the symbol of this objective. It depicts Artemis’ face in a crescent moon. however, her features are abstract enough that all women can see themselves in her place.

Now, I would imagine that most Anyone reading this would be uttering a sarcastic thank you for the history lesson, but are wondering why this matters at all in the grand scheme of things.

The ultimate goal of this specific program is to establish a human presence on Mars and eventually, beyond. Up to this point, there are three planned Artemis mission that will be going to the moon before 2024. The main reasons that we are going to the moon are as follows.

Humanity is going to the moon to prepare ourselves for Mars. If we are going to explore the Red Planet, we need to practice to make sure that we get it right the first time rather than make costly, billion dollar mistakes that may result in human lives. We are also going for resources. Studies have shown that there is ice on the moon as well as other resources that could be helpful for future missions. We are also going, purely to learn. We are a curious species, and these missions can help answer some of our biggest question, however far in the future.

Another thing that makes this mission special is that this is the first time that NASA has partnered with private agencies for space travel technology. The lunar lander prototypes as well as space suit prototypes are being designed in partnership with private organizations.

The rocket, which is going to be propelling the Orion Spacecraft through the atmosphere is going to be the most powerful rocket since the Saturn V. This rocket is called The Space Launch System or SLS. It is also the first deep space rocket since Saturn V.

But how does this impact you? I know for a fact that no student in the school was alive to see the Saturn Five launch in 1969 (at least I hope not), but there are definitely some staff members who remember that historic day. Our generation may not realize the implications it had for the world in knowing that we can go further into space, but there are those who do. Now we are going further, and it will mean even more to the world when we successfully land an American on Mars.

If you want to find out more, be sure to check out NASA.gov which is where most of this information came from.