India, April 7 -- People have always gazed at the night sky, caught between awe and ambition. The drive to explore space started with ancient sky-watchers and lives on in modern astrophysicists - it's just part of who we are. Now, we're at another turning point. More than fifty years since Apollo 11 landed on the Moon, Artemis II isn't simply about returning. It's about launching an entirely new era in space exploration, powered by imagination as much as by engineering grit. You even catch that same vibe in Andy Weir's science fiction novel Project Hail Mary. The book dives deep into what it means to confront the unknown, both morally and intellectually, and somehow makes the science feel personal.

Artemis II is designed as a crewed luna...