It has been 50 years since humans last walked the lunar surface, and NASA’s efforts to get back there will take place in stages.

April 1 (Reuters) - NASA's Artemis program is the U.S. effort to return astronauts to the moon for the first time since the Apollo era and eventually establish a sustained human presence there, a goal Washington has framed as central to maintaining space leadership amid growing competition from China.

NASA is teaming up with a host of private companies to build a lunar economy ready to welcome humans to the moon’s inhospitable surface.

Pittsburgh’s Astrobotic is closing in on the launch of its Griffin-1 lander, a 15-footwide spacecraft that will deliver two state-of-the-art rovers to the moon. CEO John Thornton said Wednesday the lander is nearing completion and should be ready for takeoff on a SpaceX rocket by the end of the year.

NASA’s Artemis II mission, targeting liftoff no earlier than April 1, 2026, represents the first crewed flight of the Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft around the Moon. But the mission carries weight far beyond its trajectory.

Samford University's Artemis II watch party hits close to home for grandson of Apollo 11 lunar lander engineer

Astrobotic and Moonshot Museum are playing significant roles in the Artemis II mission, which is scheduled to launch Wednesday evening.

The Republican said Congress did its part to keep NASA running, and Florida should do its part to keep Kennedy Space Center vital.