Technology Videos

NYU SPS Instructor Covers Artemis II Mission

NYU’s Center for Global Affairs adjunct Delane Mayer explains that NASA’s Artemis II mission, the first crewed lunar flyby since the Apollo era, is slated for launch this year, positioning the United States at the forefront of renewed lunar exploration. The ten‑day flight will carry the first woman, the first person of color, and the first Canadian to travel around the Moon, while serving as a critical test of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion crew capsule before any surface landing. Mayer highlights the mission’s dual purpose: gathering engineering data and operational experience, and advancing the Artemis Accords—a set of non‑binding, multilateral agreements that aim to codify norms for resource use, safety, and cooperation in cislunar space. Successful completion will de‑risk subsequent Artemis missions, accelerate commercial lunar‑landing contracts, and signal to rival space powers that the U.S. is committed to establishing a sustainable presence beyond low‑Earth orbit.