Artemis II: scientific interest in question

More than 50 years after Apollo, the Artemis II mission relaunches lunar exploration. But behind the spectacular images, the debate rages on: technological feat or costly gamble in limited scientific interest? Analysis by Stéphane Paltani, astrophysicist at the University of Geneva and president of the Swiss Commission for Space Research.

Fifty years after the first manned missions to the Moon, Artemis II is impressive. Sending four astronauts into lunar orbit remains, according to Stéphane Paltani, “an achievement.”

But despite the decades that have passed, the assessment is more nuanced: “One could say that the improvement is not extraordinary,” emphasizes the Geneva astrophysicist. Humanity has still not crossed a major new milestone beyond the Moon.

Robots do better

Scientifically, the verdict is clear. For Stéphane Paltani, manned missions like Artemis II do not, for the moment, provide “any gain.”

The images of the far side of the Moon? Already captured by probes. Scientific experiments? “99.99% of them are carried out by unmanned missions,” he points out. Satellites and robots accomplish these tasks much more efficiently and at a lower cost.

And the bill is steep: about 4 billion dollars for Artemis II, compared to a few tens of millions for some robotic missions.

A lunar base… for tomorrow, maybe

Artemis’ goal exceeds the current mission. NASA aims to build a manned base on the Moon. This is where scientific interest could emerge. Installing instruments directly on lunar soil would open up new perspectives. But for now, it remains hypothetical.

“In the future, perhaps there will be scientific interest,” concedes Stéphane Paltani. “In the short term, the mission is more about demonstration than research.”

A geopolitical battle above all

So why invest so much? The answer goes far beyond science. “I see it mainly as geopolitical issues,” says Stéphane Paltani. The space race, inherited from the Cold War, has never really disappeared.

The timeline itself is questionable: a manned landing scheduled for 2028, in the midst of the American electoral period. A coincidence that speaks volumes.