Last week, on the day of the Artemis launch, a newsroom conversation turned into a powerful reminder of how NASA’s legacy still resonates today. During an editorial meeting, photojournalist

Modern space exploration is driven as much by processors as it is by rockets. And it remains the ultimate test of our collective ingenuity.

In 1989, President George H.W. Bush announced the Space Exploration Initiative with the goals of going back to the moon "to stay" and, eventually, missions to Mars, Muir-Harmony said. The initiative was ended by Bush's successor, President Bill Clinton, due to costs and in favor of less expensive missions.

NASA's Artemis II astronauts have made history by travelling farther from Earth than any humans ever have, surpassing the record set by Apollo 13 over 50 years ago. On 6 April 2026, the Orion spacecraft carrying the four-person crew completed a breathtaking lunar flyby,

Artemis I lasted 25 days, focused on testing the Space Launch System (SLS), the vehicle moniker, not only for a return flight to the moon but also for missions much farther into space. One legacy of the Apollo adventure is providing a foundation for much more expansive space exploration. This successful test mission was launched on Nov. 16, 2025.

As the Artemis II spacecraft swings around — but not on — the moon, two questions: Why four astronauts? And who's Artemis?

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.

But Kennedy sold the space program instrumentally as well, in a more familiar politician’s register. Sometimes he used the strategic language of the Cold War, promising to achieve “a position of pre-eminence” relative to the Soviet Union in order to pre-empt scenarios in which space is weaponized against us.