Artemis II moon mission ‘a great development,’ Vatican Observatory director says

NASA’s Artemis II test flight launched into space on Wednesday evening for an expected 10-day lunar flyby mission. The flight, the first crewed lunar mission in more than half a century, is a test for future missions hoping to return humans to the lunar surface in 2028. Jesuit Father Richard A. D’Souza, director of the Vatican Observatory since September 2025, says the Artemis II program is “a great development” that will hopefully lead to answers about the origin of the moon. The astronomer said the Catholic Church has always supported space exploration but, noting the increased commercialization of spaceflight, warned that it should be for “the benefit of all.”