On April 1 2026, NASA is sending astronauts back around the Moon. And Australia will play a critical role in helping them get there.

Four astronauts will launch from Florida, bound for the Moon aboard the Orion spacecraft. Similar to the 1968 Apollo 8 spaceflight, the Artemis II mission will orbit the Moon without landing, to test the spacecraft and the systems that support it. It paves the way for the next Artemis missions, with an eventual crewed Moon landing slated for early 2028.

Today’s mission will also mark the first time a Black astronaut, a female astronaut and a non-American (a Canadian) will travel to the Moon system.

Throughout the journey, ground stations in Australia will track the spacecraft and maintain communications. This vital support not only underscores Australia’s space strengths, but also encourages us to consider Australia’s own direction in space.

A long history of support

Australia’s support of NASA space exploration has a long history. A series of tracking stations around Australia were essential to US President John F. Kennedy’s goal of landing a person on the Moon by the end of the 1960s.

As part of NASA’s mammoth human spaceflight efforts, facilities were established around Australia – in Western Australia, Queensland, and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).

Indeed, Australia hosted more tracking........

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