NASA's Artemis II launch window has opened, allowing the agency to land on the moon's south pole for the first time since Apollo. The 10-day mission will take four astronauts around the moon and back to Earth, but NASA plans to use this as a preparation for future missions that will target the south pole. The region is more rugged and difficult to navigate, with mountain ridges and deep craters that may trap water ice for long periods. The ice could potentially be used for drinking water and possibly broken into hydrogen and oxygen for breathable air and rocket fuel. The mission also could reveal more about the moon’s history.