In this episode of Science Quickly, we unpack NASA’s Artemis II mission after its safe return from lunar orbit, asking what the long‑awaited comeback to the moon actually achieved and whether it was worth the cost. Scientific American journalists debate the promise of future lunar missions alongside concerns about money and climate effects and the question of what space exploration should mean at a time of global strain.

Recommended Reading:
<a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nasas-artemis-ii-moon-mission-splashes-down/">NASA’s Artemis II moon mission splashes down</a>
<a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/timeline-of-the-artemis-ii-moon-mission-return-to-earth/">NASA’s Artemis II mission’s return to Earth, hour by hour</a>
<a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nasas-artemis-moon-missions-are-a-game-changer-for-astronomy/">NASA’s Artemis moon missions are a game changer for astronomy</a>
<a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nasas-artemis-ii-astronauts-celebrate-epic-lunar-flyby-with-stunning-images/">NASA’s Artemis II astronauts celebrate epic lunar flyby with stunning new images</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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Artemis II returned safely from the moon—but was it worth it?

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