The last time humans went to the moon, it was a destination.
But when NASA’s Artemis 1 mission launches Monday, the moon will be more of a way station.
“It’s really to learn how we can go further,” said Isabelle Tremblay of the Canadian Space Agency, which is playing a big role in the Artemis missions. “It’s really to learn how we can go to Mars.”
Artemis 1 is the first in a series of flights intended to result in a base orbiting the moon, from which crews can then venture into the solar system. The mission is to deposit 10 scientific satellites in lunar orbits, but the main thrust is to test NASA’s new launch system and Orion spacecraft for Artemis 2….