For the first time in more than 50 years, NASA is set to launch astronauts to the moon. NASA, as part of the upcoming Artemis II mission, plans to send four astronauts on a flight around the far side of the moon. The crew could fly deeper into space than any humans ever before, about 250,000 miles from Earth. The mission is seen as a critical stepping stone toward getting astronauts back on the moon, establishing a sustained presence there and using it as a gateway to future Mars missions.