The Real Reason We Are Rushing Back to the Moon

About this film

The modern space race has already begun, and NASA has an ambitious plan not only to return to the Moon, but to establish a permanent presence there. In this video, we'll explore NASA's comprehensive plan from 2026 to 2032 and beyond, showing what is expected to happen each year and during each mission, and highlighting the most important milestones. It all begins at the lunar south pole, a significant change from the Apollo missions. The region presents additional challenges, but these are outweighed by all that the lunar south pole has to offer. Later in 2026, following the Artemis II mission (which took place in April), additional launches are planned before the end of the year to deliver cargo, including the FLIP rover. From that point on, each year brings even more significant milestones. In 2027, NASA plans to deploy the Lunar Pathfinder satellite, the PROSPECT package, the VIPER rover, and conduct a low Earth orbit test related to the Artemis III mission. Artemis III is especially important because the spacecraft that launches from Earth is not the same one that will land on the Moon. The full Artemis IV mission is planned to work as follows: four astronauts will launch aboard the Orion spacecraft on a rocket. Orion will travel to the Moon, where it will dock with the Human Landing System (HLS). Two astronauts will transfer to the HLS and descend to the lunar surface, while the other two will remain in orbit around the Moon. Therefore, Artemis III will play a crucial role in testing the entire process of docking, transferring, and moving between spacecraft. The lunar landing is planned for 2028 as part of Artemis IV. That same year, the Lunar Terrain Vehicles (LTVs), lunar landing drones, and other major payloads are expected to arrive on the Moon. The following years will focus on initial colonization and establishing a long-term human presence. NASA itself describes the plan in three phases: Phase One: Learn, Test, and Build (2026–2029) Phase Two: Initial Habitation (2029–2032) Phase Three: Sustained Human Presence (2032 onward) We will also explore one of the biggest challenges on the Moon, one that few are aware of: the regolith, or lunar dust. We will analyze the possibility of extracting water to produce oxygen and hydrogen, the use of local resources, and other fascinating topics.