When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.The “Diana of Versailles” or “Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt”, a marble statue of the Roman goddess Diana, known as Artemis in Greek mythology, in the Musée du Louvre in Paris. | Credit: Wikimedia Commons/CC0 1.0 UniversalNASA is gearing up to send astronauts back toward the moon for the first time in more than 50 years with Artemis 2 — a mission that marks the next chapter in human lunar exploration — but who is Artemis?The Artemis program is named for the Greek goddess of the moon and wilderness, and represents the agency’s most ambitious human exploration campaign since the Apollo program — the series of missions that first carried astronauts to the lunar surface more than 50 years ago. Artemis 2, the program’s first crewed mission, will send four astronauts on a roughly 10‑day free‑return flight around the moon and back to Earth.AdvertisementAdvertisementTogether, Artemis and Apollo form a symbolic, and literal, bridge between the past and future of human spaceflight. Unlike Apollo, which focused on short-term missions, Artemis aims to establish a sustained human presence on and around the moon. NASA also plans to explore new regions, particularly near the lunar south pole, where water ice may support long-term habitation and future missions to Mars. But in the excitement over human exploration of the moon, the meanings behind the missions’ namesakes and the mythological figures that inspired them can get lost. Just who were Artemis and Apollo?Who is Artemis?In Greek mythology, Artemis is the twin sister of Apollo and the goddess of the moon, hunting and wild places. In Roman mythology, she is known as Diana. Artemis is the daughter of Zeus, who rules over all of the other gods, and Leto, one of the goddesses of childhood.Artemis is often portrayed as independent, fiercely protective and closely connected to nature — qualities that resonate with …
