Does going to the moon still matter?

Does going to the moon still matter?

From Science Weekly by The Guardian

March 31, 2026 · 20 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the significance of returning to the moon with the Artemis II mission and features insights from various experts.

If all goes to plan, Artemis II, Nasa’s mission to return humans to the moon, will launch this week. The mission will mark the farthest that humans have travelled from Earth, and the first return to the moon in more than 50 years. It will also pave the way for landing on the moon again as soon as 2028. But given the Apollo missions have already achieved that feat, does going back to the moon still matter today? To find out, Madeleine Finlay hears from the Guardian’s science editor, Ian Sample, the Atlantic journalist Ross Andersen, and Jan Wörner, a former director general of the European Space Agency. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

People in this episode

Host: Madeleine Finlay

Guests: Ian Sample, Ross Andersen, Jan Wörner

Topics covered

  • moon exploration
  • Artemis II
  • space missions
  • Apollo program
  • human spaceflight

Keywords

  • moon
  • Artemis II
  • NASA
  • space exploration
  • Apollo missions
  • human space travel
  • European Space Agency

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Nasa, European Space Agency, the Guardian

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