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What is the purpose of the Artemis program?

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The Artemis program aims to return astronauts to the Moon for the first time since 1972. During the Artemis II mission (April 1–10, 2026), astronauts flew around the Moon for the first time since the Apollo 17 mission in December 1972. The program hopes to land astronauts on the Moon as part of the Artemis IV mission in 2028, part of a bigger goal of establishing a lunar base.