Note: This “Moore to the Point” commentary aired on NewsTalkSTL on Friday, August 26th. Audio included below.

I wasn’t quite a year old when Apollo 11 landed on the Moon in July of 1969, so obviously, have no memory of the event itself. But I grew up with the lore and the history of that momentous achievement and have always been moved by it and fascinated by the exploration of space.

It is rather odd, when you think of it, that we’ve not really been back to the Moon in 50 years. Particularly when you consider all of the technological advancements made in that span. I know we’ve got the Mars rovers and Voyager 1 and 2 out there, but…what about the Moon?

Now it’s official – we’re going back. The Artemis Generation is upon us and Artemis 1 will set off for an uncrewed mission around the moon this coming Monday, laying the groundwork (or…spacework?) for future missions, getting astronauts back to the Moon with an eye toward eventual human exploration of Mars.

We are ready. 🚀

The uncrewed #Artemis I mission around the Moon will pave the way for future astronauts. The Artemis Generation is about to leave its mark.

On Aug. 29, watch history with us: https://t.co/Dx9WUCnnBS pic.twitter.com/6yJ4ik6lIw

— NASA (@NASA) August 24, 2022

For some, this may not seem like a big deal – or maybe they’ll question the expense. For me, it’s inspirational – and aspirational. It reminds us that we are capable of big things – great things – when we put our minds to it.

I don’t know what space exploration will look like 50 years from now – and it’s highly unlikely I’ll be around to see it. But I, for one, am excited for this next giant leap.