NASA: Humans will live and work on the moon by 2030

For the first time in 50 years, a NASA spacecraft visited the moon Monday. One of the heads of the program said it’s the next step in the journey to make humans an extraterrestrial species.

NASA’s Orion capsule came within 81 miles of the lunar surface as it whipped around the dark side of the moon. Nasa’s Artemis 1 rocket launched last week carrying the capsule.

Crews on Earth are pouring over the data streaming back from Orion. NASA is preparing for two more lunar missions in the coming years, with plans to put astronauts back on the surface by 2026.

Howard Hu, the head of the Orion Lunar Spacecraft Program, said humans could be active on the moon for “durations” by 2030.