NASA’s upcoming Artemis II mission is not just a technological milestone; it is a signal to allies, competitors, industries and future generations. The mission is a step towards making space a permanent domain of human activity beyond low earth orbit, rather than a theatre of episodic exploration. Artemis II matters because it further operationalises this trend. NASA completed the rollout of the Space Launch System rocket to the launch pad on 17 January. Artemis II will entrench space even more deeply into our economic systems and strategic thinking—not in some far-off future, but right now.