More infoNASA has announced plans to send astronauts on a trip around the Moon in just months - with hopes for them to land there as early as 2027. It would be the first time in 50 years that any country has flown a crewed lunar mission and could serve as a stepping stone for humanity's first ever journey to Mars. Artemis II, which will send four astronauts around the Moon next year, will prepare us for crewed missions to the lunar surface and future Martian missions." NASA had previously aimed for a launch by the end of April, but now hopes to bring the mission forward. It will be the second launch of the Artemis programme, which aims to not only land astronauts, but eventually establish a long-term human presence on the Moon.