{"id":1861695,"date":"2026-04-02T10:57:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T07:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1861695"},"modified":"2026-04-02T10:57:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T07:57:00","slug":"who-cares-about-going-to-the-moon-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1861695","title":{"rendered":"Who cares about going to the moon in 2026?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1200\/0-0-1836-1224\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442889.png&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"main-article standard \">\n<div class=\"article-main-content article-wrapper has-media-but-its-an-image\" data-status=\"loaded\" data-primary-article=\"true\" data-url=\"\/life-culture\/article\/70034\/1\/do-we-care-humans-stepping-foot-on-moon-2026-nasa-artemis-ii-mission\" data-article-id=\"70034\">\n<header class=\"article-header has-landscape-image no-media\">\n<div class=\"wrapper dg-max-width\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<figure class=\"main-img has-figcaption\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.33\" data-template=\"Standard Article\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A Trip to the Moon (1902) still\" class=\"img\" height=\"1384\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1400\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442889.png\" width=\"1836\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"inner\"><span class=\"credit\">Via IMDb<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"meta\">\n<div class=\"inner\"><time datetime=\"2026-04-02T10:57:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"02 April 2026\"><span class=\"month\">April<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"2\">2,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"titles\">\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<div class=\"sections\"><a class=\"category vertical - life-culture\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\">Life &amp; Culture<\/a><br \/>\n\/<br \/>\n<a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/news\">News<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"standard-tag-container\"><a class=\"standard-category\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\">Life &amp; Culture<\/a> \/<br \/>\n<a class=\"standard-series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/news\">News<\/a><\/div>\n<h1 class=\"title\"><span>Who cares about going to the moon <span class=\"nowrap\">in 2026?<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<div class=\"standfirst\">\n<h2>As NASA launches its groundbreaking Artemis II mission, the response has been muted \u2013\u00a0has space been overshadowed by Earth-bound crises, or have we just lost our sense <span class=\"nowrap\">of wonder?<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-04-02T10:57:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"02 April 2026\"><span class=\"month\">April<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"2\">2,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-04-02T10:57:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"02 April 2026\"><span class=\"month\">April<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"2\">2,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/p>\n<div class=\"providers\">\n<div class=\"contributors\"><span class=\"contributor\" data-contributor-role=\"Text\"><span class=\"contributor-role\">Text<\/span><a class=\"contributor-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/user\/ThomWaite\">Thom Waite<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article-body-container\">\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Over 50 years since humans last set foot on the moon, a group of astronauts are set to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/59547\/1\/moon-race-colonise-lunar-surface-moonbase-nasa-esa-space\"><span>return,<\/span><\/a><span>thanks to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/nasa\">NASA<\/a>\u2019s ongoing Artemis mission. Yesterday (April 1) this mission reached a major milestone as the space agency launched the first crewed moon mission since 1972, from its Kennedy Space Center in Florida. But why? And do we \u2013 or <\/span><em><span>should <\/span><\/em><span>we \u2013 really care about setting foot on lunar soil in the 2020s?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The Artemis mission has been in the works since 2017 and is estimated to cost close to $100 billion in its entirety, consisting of three main stages. Back in 2022, NASA flew its latest technology around the moon and back. This time around, it will take a crew of four astronauts along for the ride. And ultimately, the agency aims to have boots on the moon before the end of the decade.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>If this sounds slightly underwhelming to you, you\u2019re not alone. Online, space enthusiasts have been wondering why there isn\u2019t more public enthusiasm for a new moon landing, while critics have complained that there was \u201cno point\u201d in going there to begin with, let alone going back. Even some <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/d41586-026-00987-x\"><span>scientific researchers<\/span><\/a><span> are yet to get too excited \u2013\u00a0at least before the third stage gets well and truly underway. After all, humans <\/span><em><span>have<\/span><\/em><span> already been<\/span><span>to the moon and back several times, and arguably there are much bigger things to worry about back on Earth right now.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"instagram-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-instagram\" data-script-depends=\"instagram-embeds\">\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<h1><span>SO WHAT <\/span><em><span>IS <\/span><\/em><span>THERE TO GET EXCITED ABOUT?<\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span>The Artemis II mission will see its four participants smash several significant records. For one, they\u2019ll travel further than any human being in history (beating the record set by the Apollo 13 crew in 1970) as they slingshot around the moon, 250,000 miles away from Earth. They\u2019re also likely to become the fastest-travelling humans in history, as they reenter Earth\u2019s atmosphere at more than 25,000 miles per hour at the end of the roughly ten-day trip.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Despite being targeted by Trump\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/66069\/1\/whats-next-for-americas-dei-workforce-donald-trump\"><span>DEI purge<\/span><\/a><span> back in 2025, NASA is also trumpeting Artemis as its most inclusive space mission to date, with the first Black astronaut, first female astronaut, and first non-American set to walk on the moon when it concludes with Artemis III.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"instagram-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-instagram\" data-script-depends=\"instagram-embeds\">\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<h1><span>BUT AREN&#8217;T EARTH&#8217;S PROBLEMS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE MOON?<\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span>As you might have heard, the times we&#8217;re living in aren&#8217;t ideal for humanity\u2019s next step toward the final frontier. Donald Trump\u2019s war against Iran (with danger of further escalations) has sparked one of the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/70029\/1\/iran-war-energy-crisis-impact-guide-trump-flights-cost-of-living-medication\"><span>worst energy crises<\/span><\/a><span> in decades, which could lead to a worldwide economic depression. Meanwhile, the world remains underprepared for the climate crisis, which continues to fuel <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetimes.com\/uk\/environment\/article\/plant-species-birds-facing-extinction-fpjbl9dh0\"><span>species extinction<\/span><\/a><span> and extreme weather events.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>As we feel the effects of these crises across the globe, it\u2019s understandable that people might feel a bit bitter about the US government spending some $100 billion on a moon mission, instead of investing more in green tech or social welfare. This is a common criticism of the space agency: why invest so much in exploring space while our home planet burns? Why not spend that money, time, and energy making life more affordable and safe for everyone on Earth?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>For supporters of space travel, though, this argument overlooks the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.weforum.org\/stories\/2021\/03\/space-technology-tackle-climate-change\/\"><span>significant impact<\/span><\/a><span> of space tech on climate change awareness and mitigation. Plus, there are many inventions born out of space exploration \u2013 AKA \u201cspin-off\u201d technologies \u2013 that we can thank for a significantly better quality of life today, including water purification systems, CAT scanners, baby formula, artificial limbs, camera phones, and various energy-saving devices.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"instagram-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-instagram\" data-script-depends=\"instagram-embeds\">\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<h1><span>WHO DOES THE MOON MISSION SERVE?<\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span>This is the big question. For the likes of political figures like Donald Trump, the moon mission might serve as a rare moment of national unity (or distraction) at a time of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/politics\/2026\/03\/25\/americans-broadly-disapprove-of-u-s-military-action-in-iran\/\"><span>widespread disapproval<\/span><\/a><span> relating to the war in Iran. Echoing the Cold War, it could also be seen as a mark of superiority over other superpowers \u2013\u00a0namely, China \u2013\u00a0in terms of both cultural influence and the control of any valuable resources astronauts might find up there.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>With the Trump administration\u2019s bluster about planting the \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/cyv1q59py4go\"><span>stars and stripes<\/span><\/a><span>\u201d on the moon, and greedy corporations poised to strip mine its surface, it\u2019s hard to feel too optimistic. But of course we\u2019re at a particularly pessimistic point in world politics. In the future, humanity\u2019s presence on the moon could equally give rise to groundbreaking scientific discoveries, or revolutionary shifts in human perspective (see: the impact of the 1968 \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/future\/article\/20230511-earthrise-the-photo-that-sparked-an-environmental-movement\"><span>Earthrise<\/span><\/a><span>\u201d photo taken from lunar orbit, now known as \u201c<\/span><span>the most influential environmental photograph ever taken\u201d). At the very least, it could provide a much-needed boost in wonder and whimsy.<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span>WHAT COULD THIS MEAN FOR THE FUTURE?<\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span>With the April 1 launch going down as a big success, NASA doesn\u2019t plan to stop at getting humans back to the moon. The long-term plan (in line with the ambitions of Elon Musk\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/c2k35lg92dpo\">trillion-dollar<\/a> spaceflight company, SpaceX) is to establish a more permanent base on the lunar surface. This would act as a kind of rehearsal for <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/59733\/1\/mars-dune-alpha-the-year-long-simulator-prepping-nasa-for-life-on-mars\"><span>life on Mars<\/span><\/a><span> in the future. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Apparently, the red planet is a much more tantalising prospect than the moon itself, because it\u2019s regarded as one of the best places to search for evidence of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/69267\/1\/hunting-for-aliens-on-mars-should-be-top-priority-scientists-nasa-space\"><span>past alien life<\/span><\/a><span>, as well as the initial candidate for humanity\u2019s long-term expansion beyond Earth. Of course, we could just help return Earth to a more habitable state so that we don\u2019t <\/span><em><span>have <\/span><\/em><span>to leave for the next few billion years&#8230; but where\u2019s the fun in that?<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. 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offline<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline\" data-newsletter hidden>\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Over 50 years since humans last set foot on the moon, a group of astronauts are set to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/59547\/1\/moon-race-colonise-lunar-surface-moonbase-nasa-esa-space\"><span>return,<\/span><\/a><span>thanks to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/nasa\">NASA<\/a>\u2019s ongoing Artemis mission. Yesterday (April 1) this mission reached a major milestone as the space agency launched the first crewed moon mission since 1972, from its Kennedy Space Center in Florida. But why? And do we \u2013 or <\/span><em><span>should <\/span><\/em><span>we \u2013 really care about setting foot on lunar soil in the 2020s?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The Artemis mission has been in the works since 2017 and is estimated to cost close to $100 billion in its entirety, consisting of three main stages. Back in 2022, NASA flew its latest technology around the moon and back. This time around, it will take a crew of four astronauts along for the ride. And ultimately, the agency aims to have boots on the moon before the end of the decade.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>If this sounds slightly underwhelming to you, you\u2019re not alone. Online, space enthusiasts have been wondering why there isn\u2019t more public enthusiasm for a new moon landing, while critics have complained that there was \u201cno point\u201d in going there to begin with, let alone going back. Even some <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/d41586-026-00987-x\"><span>scientific researchers<\/span><\/a><span> are yet to get too excited \u2013\u00a0at least before the third stage gets well and truly underway. After all, humans <\/span><em><span>have<\/span><\/em><span> already been<\/span><span>to the moon and back several times, and arguably there are much bigger things to worry about back on Earth right now.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"instagram-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-instagram\" data-script-depends=\"instagram-embeds\">\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<h1><span>SO WHAT <\/span><em><span>IS <\/span><\/em><span>THERE TO GET EXCITED ABOUT?<\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span>The Artemis II mission will see its four participants smash several significant records. For one, they\u2019ll travel further than any human being in history (beating the record set by the Apollo 13 crew in 1970) as they slingshot around the moon, 250,000 miles away from Earth. They\u2019re also likely to become the fastest-travelling humans in history, as they reenter Earth\u2019s atmosphere at more than 25,000 miles per hour at the end of the roughly ten-day trip.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Despite being targeted by Trump\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/66069\/1\/whats-next-for-americas-dei-workforce-donald-trump\"><span>DEI purge<\/span><\/a><span> back in 2025, NASA is also trumpeting Artemis as its most inclusive space mission to date, with the first Black astronaut, first female astronaut, and first non-American set to walk on the moon when it concludes with Artemis III.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"instagram-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-instagram\" data-script-depends=\"instagram-embeds\">\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<h1><span>BUT AREN&#8217;T EARTH&#8217;S PROBLEMS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE MOON?<\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span>As you might have heard, the times we&#8217;re living in aren&#8217;t ideal for humanity\u2019s next step toward the final frontier. Donald Trump\u2019s war against Iran (with danger of further escalations) has sparked one of the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/70029\/1\/iran-war-energy-crisis-impact-guide-trump-flights-cost-of-living-medication\"><span>worst energy crises<\/span><\/a><span> in decades, which could lead to a worldwide economic depression. Meanwhile, the world remains underprepared for the climate crisis, which continues to fuel <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetimes.com\/uk\/environment\/article\/plant-species-birds-facing-extinction-fpjbl9dh0\"><span>species extinction<\/span><\/a><span> and extreme weather events.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>As we feel the effects of these crises across the globe, it\u2019s understandable that people might feel a bit bitter about the US government spending some $100 billion on a moon mission, instead of investing more in green tech or social welfare. This is a common criticism of the space agency: why invest so much in exploring space while our home planet burns? Why not spend that money, time, and energy making life more affordable and safe for everyone on Earth?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>For supporters of space travel, though, this argument overlooks the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.weforum.org\/stories\/2021\/03\/space-technology-tackle-climate-change\/\"><span>significant impact<\/span><\/a><span> of space tech on climate change awareness and mitigation. Plus, there are many inventions born out of space exploration \u2013 AKA \u201cspin-off\u201d technologies \u2013 that we can thank for a significantly better quality of life today, including water purification systems, CAT scanners, baby formula, artificial limbs, camera phones, and various energy-saving devices.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"instagram-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-instagram\" data-script-depends=\"instagram-embeds\">\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<h1><span>WHO DOES THE MOON MISSION SERVE?<\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span>This is the big question. For the likes of political figures like Donald Trump, the moon mission might serve as a rare moment of national unity (or distraction) at a time of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/politics\/2026\/03\/25\/americans-broadly-disapprove-of-u-s-military-action-in-iran\/\"><span>widespread disapproval<\/span><\/a><span> relating to the war in Iran. Echoing the Cold War, it could also be seen as a mark of superiority over other superpowers \u2013\u00a0namely, China \u2013\u00a0in terms of both cultural influence and the control of any valuable resources astronauts might find up there.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>With the Trump administration\u2019s bluster about planting the \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/cyv1q59py4go\"><span>stars and stripes<\/span><\/a><span>\u201d on the moon, and greedy corporations poised to strip mine its surface, it\u2019s hard to feel too optimistic. But of course we\u2019re at a particularly pessimistic point in world politics. In the future, humanity\u2019s presence on the moon could equally give rise to groundbreaking scientific discoveries, or revolutionary shifts in human perspective (see: the impact of the 1968 \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/future\/article\/20230511-earthrise-the-photo-that-sparked-an-environmental-movement\"><span>Earthrise<\/span><\/a><span>\u201d photo taken from lunar orbit, now known as \u201c<\/span><span>the most influential environmental photograph ever taken\u201d). At the very least, it could provide a much-needed boost in wonder and whimsy.<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span>WHAT COULD THIS MEAN FOR THE FUTURE?<\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span>With the April 1 launch going down as a big success, NASA doesn\u2019t plan to stop at getting humans back to the moon. The long-term plan (in line with the ambitions of Elon Musk\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/c2k35lg92dpo\">trillion-dollar<\/a> spaceflight company, SpaceX) is to establish a more permanent base on the lunar surface. This would act as a kind of rehearsal for <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/59733\/1\/mars-dune-alpha-the-year-long-simulator-prepping-nasa-for-life-on-mars\"><span>life on Mars<\/span><\/a><span> in the future. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Apparently, the red planet is a much more tantalising prospect than the moon itself, because it\u2019s regarded as one of the best places to search for evidence of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/69267\/1\/hunting-for-aliens-on-mars-should-be-top-priority-scientists-nasa-space\"><span>past alien life<\/span><\/a><span>, as well as the initial candidate for humanity\u2019s long-term expansion beyond Earth. Of course, we could just help return Earth to a more habitable state so that we don\u2019t <\/span><em><span>have <\/span><\/em><span>to leave for the next few billion years&#8230; but where\u2019s the fun in that?<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/70034\/1\/do-we-care-humans-stepping-foot-on-moon-2026-nasa-artemis-ii-mission&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1200\/0-0-1836-1224\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442889.png&#8221;] Via IMDb April\u00a0 2,\u00a0 2026 Life &amp; Culture \/ News Life &amp; Culture \/ News Who cares about going to the moon in 2026? As NASA launches its groundbreaking Artemis II mission, the response has been muted \u2013\u00a0has space been overshadowed by Earth-bound crises, or have we just lost our sense of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,76],"class_list":["post-1861695","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-dazeddigital-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1861695","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1861695"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1861695\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1861695"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1861695"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1861695"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}