Humanity hasn't gone back to the Moon for over 50 years. This is going to change, finally.

Artemis II is set to travel on a 10-day lunar flyby trip onboard the Orion spacecraft in November 2024.

In April, NASA announced the crew, that is: Reid Wiseman (Commander), Victor Glover (Pilot), Jeremy Hansen (Mission Specialist), and Christina Koch (Mission Specialist).

But why is Artemis II going to be a historic mission? Here are 3 reasons for that:

1) The Crew Will Have A Few "Firsts"

During the Apollo program, all crew members were white male astronauts.

Artemis II will have a diverse & historic crew, as Koch will become the first female, Glover will become the first person of color and Hansen will be the first non-U.S. person to visit the Moon.

NASA won't stop there.

Artemis III will have the first woman & person of color to set foot on the Moon.

2) We Are Going To The Moon - And This Time To Stay

It's quite an outrage that humanity hasn't returned to the Moon for over 50 years.

Artemis program will change this.

NASA is working on a permanent lunar base and a space station in lunar orbit (Lunar Gateway) to ensure the permanent presence of humankind on the Moon.

3) Crewed Moon Exploration Is Going International

NASA is not doing the Artemis program alone.

The Orion spacecraft is already an international vehicle, as Airbus is building its Service Module.

Artemis II will bring a Canadian astronaut.

Further, the U.S. will work with 20+ countries who are members of the Artemis Accords - an international agreement on lunar exploration.