NASA is going back to the moon, and Huntsville is right at the heart of making it happen.

The Artemis program is a key part of NASA’s Moon to Mars campaign.

NASA’s Artemis missions will establish a base camp on the moon and the Gateway outpost in the moon’s orbit.

Each mission will provide knowledge and expertise in preparation for the first human mission to Mars.

While maintaining American space leadership, one aim of Artemis is to build a global alliance of deep space exploration that benefits all.

In Alabama, 85 companies support the Artemis program. As of January this year, nearly three-quarters of those companies are in Huntsville and Madison.

That’s no surprise since the Huntsville area is home to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.

“For nearly 65 years, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center has invested in the growth of the North Alabama and Huntsville community,” said NASA Marshall Director Joseph Pelfrey.

“NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center is proud to have such a highly skilled, diverse workforce. In 2024, we were ranked the number one place to work in the federal government for the 12th year in a row, for good reason,” said Pelfrey.

The Artemis program ultimately generates over 35,000 jobs and contributes $8 billion to Alabama’s economy, according to NASA’s FY23 Economic Impact Report.

The Moon to Mars program also generates an estimated $164,000 in tax revenue for the state and local governments, as detailed in the report.

The first crewed mission of Artemis II will be a test of how capable NASA’s Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft will be in exploring deep space.

The crew of Artemis II will be a ground-breaking group. The four astronauts include the first person of color and the first woman to land on the moon in a future Artemis mission.

The Artemis missions will provide scientific discovery, economic benefits, and inspiration for a new generation of explorers.

The Artemis Generation will soon graduate from high schools and colleges across the US.

Previous generations witnessed the excitement of the first moon landing or excitedly followed the space shuttle missions. Now, space exploration and colonization are becoming more than science fiction.

As the Artemis Generation graduates and looks to its future, permanent habitats on the moon and routine exploration of space will be part of that reality.