The last time Americans set foot on the moon was in 1972 when Apollo 17 astronauts Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt walked on its surface was in December 1972. The Apollo mission of Artemis II, which was successful, was to circle the moon and reveal its dark side, making it more accessible to the public than any other astronauts before. However, the last time the U.S. had been sending astronauts there was a decade ago when the Apollo program ended in 1972 and there was no mention of establishing a base on the lunar surface. The last time a president since John F. Kennedy showed interest in space was sparked by competition with Russia, which launched Sputnik into space in 1957. However the U., however, stopped sending astronauts to the moon due to concerns over the costs and ongoing conflicts with the Vietnam War.