NASA's Artemis II mission is set to launch from 6:24 p.m. on Wednesday, aiming to kick-start a new era of lunar exploration. The mission will circle the moon as a step toward a lunar landing in 2028. The Apollo 17 astronauts spent nearly 13 days in space, driving a lunar rover a total of about 19 miles, and returning 243 pounds back to Earth. The Artemis II astronauts will also see about 60% of the far side of the moon, which has never been seen by human eyes due to its lighting conditions. The long-term goal for the Artemis program is to build a lunar base to facilitate long stays and eventually use it as a stepping stone to Mars.