NASA pulled off the moon landing in 1969 with a clear goal from the outset — to be the first nation to put people on the lunar surface.
The US was locked in a space race with the Soviet Union, and the Apollo 11 landing helped cement America’s lead in the competition to be the reigning geopolitical superpower in the depths of the Cold War.
Now, NASA is heading back with its Artemis program. As early as April 1, the agency will send a crew of four around the moon as a precursor for a landing this decade.
But why ...