In this episode of Science Quickly, we break down the successful launch of NASA’s Artemis II mission—the first crewed journey toward the moon in more than 50 years—as space editor Lee Billings explains how the Orion spacecraft will slingshot around the moon, what risks still lie ahead, why this test flight matters for future lunar landings, and how everything from heat‑shield concerns to the spacecraft’s upgraded toilet fits into NASA’s larger plan to build a long‑term presence on the moon.

Recommended Reading:
<a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nasas-artemis-ii-moon-mission-heads-to-launch/">Live: NASA’s Artemis II moon mission launches</a>
<a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/artemis-ii-mission-timeline/">Artemis II’s journey to the moon, day by day</a>
<a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nasas-moon-mission-day-one-a-toilet-mishap-and-spacecraft-maneuvers/">NASA’s moon mission day one: a toilet mishap and spacecraft maneuvers</a>
<a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nasas-artemis-ii-mission-launches-four-astronauts-to-the-moon/">NASA’s Artemis II launches on first crewed moon mission of the 21st century</a>

E-mail us at <a href="mailto:sciencequickly@sciam.com">sciencequickly@sciam.com</a> if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover!

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Science Quickly is produced by Kendra Pierre-Louis, Fonda Mwangi, Sushmita Pathak and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura, with fact-checking by Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck. Our theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

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