What remains after the Moon flyby in April 2026?

One female and three male astronauts have returned safely from their trip around the Moon. This time they didn't bring back samples of moon rocks, but they did bring back stunning photos of the Moon and many personal experiences.

But is that enough to justify a mission that has already cost tens of billions of US dollars? A single launch of the SLS rocket to the Moon is estimated to cost around four billion dollars. European taxpayers' money is also being invested in this adventure.

In recent days, experts and space enthusiasts have often been asked critical questions. And the first answer, the day after everything ended well, is quite sober: the scientific value of the Artemis II mission is small – we won't learn much new about the Moon.

One of the most intriguing open questions is the Moon's water reserves. Water – in any form – in lunar craters could in the future enable humans to survive on the surface of this celestial body. But that will be the task of future missions in which humans will land on the Moon's surface again.

Even the observations of the starry sky made by the Artemis crew are unlikely to yield major new insights into the origin of our universe.

However, it would be an exaggeration to call this mission pointless. It was the second dress rehearsal of technology that should enable future flights to the Moon and Mars.

Proven technology re-assembled

Some of the technology is not new: not only visually, but also structurally, the SLS – the most powerful rocket ever built – with its orange tank and two side rocket boosters is reminiscent of the system that once launched the Space Shuttle into space. In fact, the SLS is a further developed version of that system, reusing adapted parts from the Shuttle program, such as the main engines.

The European Service Module, which was built in Bremen on behalf of the European Space Agency (ESA), also contains components that have long proven their reliability. Its engine, in an earlier version, was used in the Apollo missions and later as a maneuvering engine on the Space Shuttle.

So it's a proven technology reassembled into a new system – but one that has never carried humans to the Moon. Now, step by step, its capability for deep space flights is being tested.

That this is not easy has been demonstrated in previous years, and even last week. During the development of the SLS, there have been constant delays, and quality problems and rising costs have led to criticism of Boeing.

A different strategy for re-entering Earth's atmosphere

During the first flight of the unmanned Orion capsule with the SLS rocket in 2022, serious problems arose with the heat shield. During re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, parts fell off uncontrollably. NASA used a material for the heat shield that had already guaranteed the safe return of astronauts during the Apollo program.

However, while the shield worked well at high temperatures in earlier tests, problems emerged at slightly lower temperatures during the Orion capsule's reentry into the atmosphere.

The astronauts would probably have survived, but NASA didn't want to rely on luck. So for the manned Artemis II mission, they chose a different reentry strategy.

This is a cautious approach to the Moon. At the same time, NASA is still waiting for the completion of lunar landing vehicles being developed by private companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin, which should in the future transport people from the Orion capsule to the lunar surface.

A new rivalry between great powers in space

Politically, Artemis II shows that the United States is serious about sending humans to our closest neighbor in the solar system again – and ahead of China's moon mission, expected around 2030.

Artemis is a technological achievement and the next step in space exploration – but also a preparation for a manned flight to Mars. It is about the great power competition that is now taking place in space.

Artemis is also a political signal of cooperation. Despite all the differences, Europe is an important partner with its contribution in these missions. The next people to set foot on the Moon for the first time will come from different continents, and German astronauts are among the candidates.

Ultimately, the selection of the crew for Artemis II was also an important political message: the first woman, the first black man, and the first non-US astronaut saw the Moon at close range.