NASA says Artemis II is a major step toward returning humans to the moon — and eventually sending astronauts to Mars. For the public, the name-submission campaign offers a fun, symbolic way to be part of that next chapter in space exploration. Over 1.8 million boarding passes have been claimed as of Monday afternoon.

The Space Launch System and Orion capsule are being transported to the launchpad before an astronaut mission that could launch as soon as Feb. 6.

The upcoming flight will mark the first crewed mission to the Moon in more than 50 years, making it a major milestone in NASA's space exploration programme.