Artemis 2 opens a relay race toward a lunar base and Mars, NASA chief says

NASA chief Jared Isaacman says Artemis 2 was just the opening act in a broader push to return humans to the Moon and establish a sustained presence, describing a lunar “relay race” that will lead to a Moon base and eventual Mars missions. The mission’s success sets the stage for Artemis 3 to test a human landing system in 2027 and Artemis 4 to pursue a crewed Moon landing by 2028, alongside organizational and budget changes—expanding private and international partnerships, rethinking the Lunar Gateway and ISS strategy, and pursuing mechanisms to accelerate cadence and innovation for a long‑term lunar-to-Mars agenda.