NASA’s Artemis I mission is past its halfway mark — the uncrewed Orion capsule slinging past the far side of the moon. The next big step is making it back to Earth safe.

The mission ushers in a new era of lunar exploration with astronauts making the trip next. NASA wants to establish a permanent base at the moon — are we any closer to that goal now? We’ll chat with Laura Forczyk, a space policy analyst, about the sustainability of the moon.

Then, scientists are already preparing for long-term visits to the moon — and trying to grow plants in lunar soil. We’ll revisit a conversation with NASA senior scientist Sharmila Bhattacharya about what researchers have learned so far.