After a 10-day journey around the far side of the Moon, the four astronauts on NASA's Artemis II mission are set to splash down in the Pacific Ocean late on Friday.n.
The historic mission, which set a record during its lunar flyby for how far humans have ventured into space, was a significant step towards a return to the Moon's surface for the first time since 1972 - as well as laying the foundation for future space exploration.
The UN's advocate for space , internationally acclaimed physicist, author and broadcaster Professor Brian Cox told the UN: "It's not just about exploration anymore, it's about making everybody's life better."
Life-enhancing
The Artemis programme aims to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon, explore the lunar South Pole, and test technologies for future crewed missions to Mars.
"As we move out into space, the thing to remember is that we are not escaping the planet, and the planet is not becoming less important...we are doing it to enhance our lives on this planet," Prof. Cox said, emphasising that Earth is the best planet in the universe for us because it's where we evolved.
As the United Nations marks this historic milestone on the International Day of Human Space Flight , the UN's Champion for Space, Professor Brian Cox, wants to show the world that "space is no longer science fiction," but rather an "important part of all our lives and our economy."
