"Back to Tranquility Base: A Historic Return"

NASA's Artemis 1 mission successfully launched and returned the Orion capsule from the moon, marking a significant step towards returning humans to the moon. The Artemis program follows an evolutionary approach, with incremental steps to prove new hardware and mitigate risks. While the long-term plan is to explore the lunar South Pole, the author suggests that Artemis 3 should initially return to Tranquility Base near the moon's equator for lower risk and historical reasons. The equator offers simpler orbital mechanics, smoother terrain, better communication, and lighting conditions. Returning to Tranquility Base would also pay homage to the Apollo generation and provide insights into the condition of hardware left behind over 50 years.