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NASA to send astronauts farther from Earth than ever before

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January 17, 2026

NASA's Artemis II mission has begun rolling toward its launchpad ahead of a planned February liftoff. DW takes a closer look at what NASA hopes to uncover through the mission's four-phase journey from the moon to Mars.

Artemis II is a crewed moon mission that follows the uncrewed Artemis I test flight in 2022 and sets the stage for future lunar landings and the Gateway space station, a stepping stone toward Mars.

The four astronauts aboard will not land, but will observe the moon's far side, parts of which have never been seen by human eyes.

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