The Artemis Program
The Artemis program is NASA’s human space exploration initiative to return astronauts to the Moon and establish a foundation for future missions to Mars. Building on the legacy of the Apollo program, Artemis aims to demonstrate new technologies, conduct scientific research, and create a sustainable human presence beyond Earth orbit.
The Artemis Accords
In 2020, eight countries came together to create the Artemis Accords, a set of principles to guide and govern the civil exploration of and use of outer space.
The Accords reinforce the signatory nation's commitments to the Outer Space Treaty, the Registration Convention, and the Rescue and Return agreement.
The total amount of signatories has grown from the initial eight to seventy nations by 2026.
"Colorado’s aerospace companies are the industry-leading innovators that are helping us get back to the moon," Colorado Governor Jared Polis spoke from the Red Rocks Amphitheatre on August 3rd, 2026. Over 8,000 people had gathered to hear the astronauts of Artemis II, Jeremy Hansen, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Reid Wiseman, speak about their experiences during the mission.
Imagine you can cover up the entire Earth with your thumb,” Christina Koch said, “That’s how small it was to us. Looking out at it, you couldn’t necessarily recognize continents, you couldn’t necessarily recognize rivers or oceans … but what you knew was that was home.”
"I hope the future missions continue to … remind us what we’re capable of — not in spite of our differences, but when we bring those differences together to collaborate for good,” said Victor Glover