Former NASA astronaut on how Artemis II could eventually lead to humans living on Mars

A four-astronaut crew is launching Wednesday on Artemis II, a lunar flyby mission that represents a critical step toward human Mars exploration. Former NASA astronaut Terry Hart discussed the mission's significance in an interview, explaining how this effort fits into the broader goal of establishing sustained human presence beyond Earth orbit. Artemis II follows the successful uncrewed Artemis I test flight and will validate spacecraft systems and crew procedures needed for more ambitious deep-space missions. The mission demonstrates NASA's strategy of using the moon as a testing ground and staging point for eventual Mars exploration. Success on Artemis II would pave the way for Artemis III, which aims to land humans on the lunar surface.