Your Artemis II mission questions answered

The Artemis II mission, humanity's first crewed lunar flyby in over 50 years, has reignited global fascination with space travel—but also sparked urgent ethical questions about ownership, sustainability, and our relationship with the cosmos. As four astronauts orbit the moon, the conversation shifts from technical marvels to deeper dilemmas: Who gets to claim the moon’s resources? Can we avoid repeating Earth’s colonial past in space? The episode features planetary scientist Sarah Mizrui, geologist Gordon Ozynski, and Mi'kmaq astronomer Hilding Nielsen, who challenge the dominant narrative of space as a 'final frontier' to be exploited. Instead, Nielsen calls for a paradigm shift—viewing space not as a resource to conquer, but as a sacred ecosystem and ancestral kin. The guests argue that space exploration must be guided by humility, collaboration, and responsibility, not profit or national pride. They emphasize that the moon is not a 'new Earth' to be colonized, but a fragile, interconnected environment that demands stewardship. The episode concludes with a powerful call: by looking outward, we may finally learn to cherish and protect our one and only home—Earth.