Sometime soon, NASA plans to launch a powerful new rocket.

The $4.1 billion test flight of NASA's Artemis Moon Exploration Program aims to send the capsule around the moon and back with three test dummies on board.

The launch is part of an ambitious quest to get people back to the moon for the first time in half a century,

and just maybe even further.

This is the way that we learn

so that we can eventually go to Mars.

But many people are criticizing the scope and the cost of the plan,

while others can't help us shrug and say,

eh, been there, done that. I don't want to go back to the plan. While others can't help us shrug and say, eh, been there, done that.

I don't want to go back to the moon.

I want to go direct to Mars.

Oh, and there's also the thing that this launch

has already cost billions of dollars

and been delayed twice.

Okay. billions of dollars and been delayed twice. I'm Gustavo Ariano. You're listening to the Times, essential news from the LA Times.

It's Friday, September 16, 2022. Today, why the U.S. and its partners are determined to go back to the moon and the role politics plays when we reach for the stars.

Here to talk about these lunar missions is my LA Times colleague, business reporter Samantha

Masunaga. Samantha, welcome to the Times.

Hey, Gustavo. Thanks for having me on. Okay. I'm not a space guy outside of Grogu and the

Ewoks. So what is NASA's mission planned to get astronauts back to the moon?

So it all revolves around their new Artemis program.

Artemis in Greek mythology is the sister of Apollo, a sun god.

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