Christina Korp is an astronaut manager and the founder of SPACE for a Better World. She is known for her work with astronaut Edwin ‘Buzz’ Aldrin, who was part of the historic Apollo 11 mission that first landed humans on the moon. Korp has earned the nickname ‘astronaut wrangler’. Based in Florida, Korp produced the last five galas at the Kennedy Space Center, celebrating the Apollo 11 mission. She now collaborates with notable figures such as Apollo 16 moonwalker Charles Duke and NASA astronaut Nicole Stott. Korp founded SPACE for a Better World in 2020 to emphasise how space exploration benefits all life on Earth and how it could play a crucial role in achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. In an exclusive interview with THE WEEK, Korp discusses the significance of the Artemis II mission and explains why humans will continue to be obsessed with the Moon missions.
Why is all this obsession with the Moon especially with the upcoming Artemis II mission?
Artemis II is different from most of the recent Moon missions. A human mission takes it to a whole new level. Humans haven’t been to the Moon in over 53 years since the last Moon landing on Apollo 17. People often forget that we actually went to the Moon, let alone the fact that there were nine human missions and six successful Moon landings.
Artemis II will be a historic milestone as the first mission to send a woman, a person of colour, and a Canadian to the Moon. Like Apollo 8 in December 1968, the mission’s primary objective is to orbit the Moon, but Artemis II will travel farther from Earth and in a higher lunar orbit than any human mission before. Unlike the Cold War–era space race, Artemis represents a shift toward long-term lunar exploration and a sustained human presence on the Moon. The program emphasises international collaboration, with 61 nations signing the Artemis Accords to work together in the exploration of the Moon.
How do lunar missions help humans on Earth?
During the Apollo program, the original goal was to demonstrate technological superiority over the Soviet Union, but the missions ultimately became focused on scientific discovery. The technologies developed for Apollo continue to benefit the world today, including advances in communications, computing, and life-support systems such as air and water purification. These innovations, created to keep astronauts alive in space, have since found widespread use on Earth, showing how Apollo’s true impact extends far beyond its original purpose.
The reason to return to the Moon goes beyond learning how to live on another world. A key objective is to extract water ice found in permanently shadowed regions near the Moon’s South Pole. This ice can be used to provide drinking water and support food production, but its greatest value lies in its chemical components. By separating water into hydrogen and oxygen, it can be converted into rocket fuel. Establishing a fuel depot in lunar orbit would be transformative, as water is extremely heavy and expensive to launch from Earth. Using lunar resources makes deep-space travel more practical, enabling missions to asteroids rich in valuable materials. This approach supports the long-term vision championed by companies like Blue Origin: moving resource-intensive industry off Earth so humanity can better protect and preserve our home planet.
How is the Artemis mission different from the earlier missions, particularly the Apollo Moon missions, both technically and scientifically?
Technologically, Artemis uses modern systems that allow for longer missions and sustained operations around the Moon rather than short visits. Advances in computing, navigation, robotics, and life-support systems also make Artemis safer, more flexible, and capable of going farther than Apollo ever could. Also, the spacecraft will have 4k cameras this time to share the mission in high definition. Scientifically, Apollo was mainly about proving we could get to the Moon and bringing back samples. Artemis is about learning how to stay there. The missions focus on long-term exploration and understanding the Moon as a stepping stone for deeper space exploration. Artemis is about building a lasting presence and preparing for what comes next.
What kind of challenges do astronauts face during lunar missions?
Artemis II is only a 10-day mission, so the challenges are expected to be minimal. Three of the crew members have already spent a good deal of time in space, so they are experienced with living in zero gravity. This will be Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen’s first spaceflight—going to the Moon is a great first mission to space. Because this is not a long-duration mission, they should be well-equipped. They have trained for years for this. However, for future long-duration Moon missions, there will be many adjustments, like adjusting to 1/6 gravity—their spacesuits weigh about 360 pounds on Earth but only 60 pounds on the Moon. Although that sounds fun, it also means that the astronauts are at risk for bone and muscle loss. So just like on the ISS, they will likely have to exercise for 1-2 hours per day.
The lunar soil or regolith is harsh on spacesuits and equipment. The lunar surface is covered in abrasive, electrostatic, and microscopic dust. It sticks to suits and equipment, poses a respiratory hazard if tracked into the habitat, and can damage seals, bearings, and airlocks. The Moon has no atmosphere or magnetic field, exposing astronauts to high levels of cosmic radiation and solar particle events, requiring heavy shielding for habitats, likely involving burying them under meters of regolith. Besides this, temperature changes are extreme—from extremely hot to roughly -248°C (-414°F).
How can missions to the moon lead to further missions to the red planet, Mars?
If we can learn how to live on the Moon, then that will prepare humans for life on Mars. As my friend, NASA astronaut Nicole Stott (who has travelled to the ISS twice), likes to say, there is no better example of living off the grid than going to space. The Moon gives us a nearby testing ground where we can practice surviving and working in a harsh environment, from life-support systems to resource management. Once we master living on the Moon, we’ll be better prepared for Mars and able to identify and fix problems before sending people much farther from Earth. The Moon is only about three days away so that help can arrive quickly in an emergency. Mars, however, is a very different story—getting there takes months, making it essential to solve those challenges ahead of time.
How significant is the discovery of water ice on the Moon?
It’s a huge deal that water ice exists on the Moon. If you have ice, you have water—for drinking, growing food, and supporting human life. That water can also be broken down into oxygen to breathe and hydrogen for fuel, which means astronauts wouldn’t have to bring everything from Earth. Having accessible water ice makes long-term missions possible and turns the Moon from just a place we visit into a place where humans can actually live and work sustainably.
Is the Artemis II mission fully geared to deal with any unforeseen challenges for the astronauts?
Radiation is a big challenge for long stays on the Moon—one we haven’t fully solved yet. To have a permanent presence there, we’ll need to find ways to protect astronauts from it. That might mean building habitats underground in natural lava tubes, which can shield from radiation, or developing new kinds of protective shielding that can handle the harsh space environment. Figuring this out is key to keeping people safe during extended missions.
Artemis aims to land the first woman and the next man on the Moon. Why is this milestone important for global space exploration?
It’s a big deal because seeing the first woman and first person of colour go to the Moon shows that space is truly for everyone. Just imagine how every woman and little girl will feel watching a woman step onto the Moon for the first time—half the world suddenly seeing themselves represented in history. And seeing the first coloured man on the Moon sends a powerful message to people around the world: no matter who you are or where you come from, you can aim higher for your dreams.
What new scientific discoveries can we expect from human exploration of the Moon that only humans can achieve and not robots or machines?
Buzz Aldrin said, “I’ve never seen a ticker tape parade for a robot.” And he was right. When Buzz, Neil Armstrong, and Michael Collins travelled the world on their Goodwill tour, millions of people lined the streets to see them—because humans in space inspire something machines do not. Rockets and robots are incredible, but humans remind us of what’s possible. They awaken our imagination, ignite our curiosity, and spark a fire in the human spirit that drives us to explore the unknown and achieve the impossible. Every step they take beyond Earth is a step for all of us, a reminder that no dream is too big, no frontier too distant.
How will Artemis contribute to the growth of the global space economy and international collaboration?
Artemis isn’t just about exploring the Moon—it’s a major investment in the future economy. Developing rockets, spacecraft, and lunar technology creates high-tech jobs, drives innovation, and opens new markets. The World Economic Forum (WEF) predicted the global space economy will triple from $ 630 billion in 2023 to $1.8 trillion by 2035. This growth, averaging 9 per cent annually, is driven by satellite-enabled technologies like communications, navigation, and Earth observation becoming as integral to daily life as semiconductors.
Companies and countries working together on lunar missions are laying the foundation for industries like space mining, in-orbit manufacturing, and space-based energy—opportunities that could generate trillions in economic value and reshape how we invest in technology and resources.