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Artemis, the goddess of hunting and of childbirth, protector of girls. That's the name chosen for the moon mission which has captivated the entire universe (assuming there are beings elsewhere in this universe with the capacity for captivation).

Captivated the entire universe. Except me. Sure, millions and millions of earthlings have gazed at the images of the other side of the moon, seen what earth looks like from up there, thought, "Wow, astronauts are so otherworldly."

But to me, the Artemis II mission is more bread and circuses from a nation which has stopped delivering bread to its citizens on the election of its latest leader, Donald Trump.

Of course, I remember being utterly engrossed by Apollo 11. I remember cramming into the school hall to look at images of the landing. It couldn't possibly have been live because the times weren't set up to suit Australian school children. But whatever we were watching it was thrilling. "A small step for man" (which was what Neil Armstrong actually said), "one giant leap for mankind". Folks keep trying to rewrite aural history and insert "a" before man, as in, "a small step for a man" - but listen to the recordings endlessly, and it's just not there. Armstrong clearly couldn't remember his script. Totally understandable considering the magnitude of the occasion. Geez, I've been to weddings where the bride has forgotten to thank her parents. Pressure gets to you.

Unlike the Artemis II crew who clearly rehearsed their lines so often they sounded as flat as a child's representation of the man in the moon.

What's my beef? Julia Cartwright, a senior research fellow in law and economics at the American Institute for Economic Research, did the numbers for the Washington Post. Artemis II will cost $US4.1 billion. "The entire program is expected to exceed $100 billion by the time astronauts are scheduled to step on the lunar surface once again in 2028. That is enough to send every American a check for roughly $300. Instead, that money is being aimed at the moon."

I'm not a big fan of the idea of $300 per person though. What about huge community batteries in every city and town? What about better public transport? What about the kind of investment which would feed kids breakfast forever? What about better health care?

But the US has always considered itself to be special and important, to attempt........

© Canberra Times