NASA astronauts set to answer one of the biggest questions in human history with Artemis 2 mission

NASA astronauts have said Artemis 2 could help answer one of the most asked questions in humanity's history during a recent press conference.

It's arguably the most debated question in all of science. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has previously weighed in on it, while some CIA insiders have hinted at government secrets around the topic of aliens and UFOs.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has been rumoured to address the topic when the 'time is right' and has previously called out former president Barack Obama for saying 'aliens are real.'

But now, NASA believes the answer might finally be within reach thanks to the imminent Artemis 2 mission.

When will Artemis 2 take flight?

Today (1 April) is launch day for Artemis 2 as the mission's four-man crew, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen, prepare for their journey on a 10-day trip around the Moon and back. If all goes well, given weather conditions and final preparations, we shouldn't expect any further delays to the launch.

What will Artemis 2 help us understand?

Ahead of launch, NASA astronaut Christina Koch explained what she hopes the mission will ultimately help humanity understand.

"Many, many countries have recognised the value that there is in exploring further into the solar system to the Moon and onto Mars," said Koch, as shared by Drama Alert's X post.

The NASA astronaut described the journey as an opportunity to begin answering what she called 'the question of our lifetime' of whether we're alone in the universe.

"When we go out and meet people, people ask that all the time," she said. "The fact is that answering that question starts at the Moon."

Koch added: "The Moon is a witness plate to our entire solar system's formation [and] is a stepping stone to Mars where we might have the most likelihood of finding evidence of past life."

While Artemis 2 won't actually land on the lunar surface, it will take the crew at least 5,000 nautical miles (around 5753 miles) past the Moon. The hugely expensive event will still mark a point in history as it will be the first crewed flight around the Moon since 1972 when the Apollo 17 mission set off for the lunar surface.

As such, the space agency is making it as easy as possible for everyone to watch the event in real time.

Live coverage will be available on NASA's website, the NASA+ app, streaming platforms including Amazon Prime Video, Hulu and Apple TV and across NASA's official channels on YouTube, X, Facebook and Twitch.

NASA is targeting a lift-off time of 11.24pm BST tonight (6.24pm local time EDT) from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.