NASA Flies 1st Crewed Lunar Flyby in 50 Years, Targets 2028 Moon Landing

3 articles · Updated · spacedaily.com · Jul 1

Artemis II sent a crewed Orion capsule around the Moon on a free-return trajectory in April, marking NASA’s first human lunar mission since the Apollo era more than 50 years ago.
The flight demonstrated a proven route: Apollo 8 reached lunar orbit in 69 hours in 1968, and Orion’s flyby showed NASA can again carry astronauts to the Moon and back.
NASA is now aiming for a crewed lunar landing as early as 2028, shifting Artemis from a test of deep-space transport toward a return to the lunar surface.
That milestone also feeds a broader view of the Moon as a future travel destination, with private firms already taking million-dollar reservations tied to lunar tourism concepts.