The crewmembers of Artemis II made history last week as they returned from the first human trip to the Moon in over 50 years.
The record-breaking mission also became historic for marking the furthest into deep space humans have ever traveled.
NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen splashed down back on Earth on Friday (April 10) after spending 10 days on their mission.
While the crew did not land on the Moon, they performed a flyby, using the lunar rock’s gravitational pull to slingshot themselves back towards Earth.
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But with so much tech and power behind the programme, just how much money did NASA spend to get the astronauts there?
It turns out the mission set the space agency back by around $4 billion, but there will be much more to spend as NASA intends to push forward with more lunar exploration.
This is because Artemis III is set to take off next year, with humans expected to land on the Moon as part of Artemis IV in 2028.
Artemis II astronauts took a piece of history to the Moon with them
While aboard the Orion capsule, the team shared the historical pieces they carried with them on their trip around the Moon.
In a live broadcast, the astronauts showed an American flag they brought with them which was originally made 56 years ago for the Apollo 18 mission, which never went ahead.
Apollo 18 and 19 were missions that ultimately ended up being canceled by NASA as focus shifted towards other priorities for the space agency.
The final human trip to the Moon before Artemis II was Apollo 17, which took place in 1972 and saw astronauts Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt become the last humans to step foot on the Moon up to now.
The Artemis II crew splashed down back on Earth last week (Danielle Villasana/Getty Images)
What was the purpose of the Artemis II mission to the Moon?
According to NASA, the team performed ‘a series of planned tests to evaluate systems, procedures, and performance in deep space’.
The space agency continued: “They will conduct manual spacecraft operations and monitor automated activities; evaluate Orion’s life-support, propulsion, power, thermal, and navigation systems; perform proximity operations activities; assess habitability and crew interfaces; and participate in science activities, including lunar surface observations and human health studies, that will inform science operations on future Moon missions.
“They also will practice mission-critical activities, including trajectory adjustments, communications at lunar distances, and piloting Orion during key phases of flight, culminating in a re-entry and splashdown to further validate the spacecraft’s performance with crew aboard.”