Alexander Zheleznyakov, a Russian Academic at the Tsiolkovsky Russian Academy of Cosmonautics, indicated the broader significance of the Artemis mission. “The mission’s goals are to demonstrate technological prowess,” Zheleznyakov told Komsomolskaya Pravda, “but something else is more important. Humanity has reached a point where it’s important not just to fly to the Moon and make a mark, but to “get a foothold,” establish bases, and find uses for the Moon for our future. The Moon is seen primarily as a “hop-off spaceport” for future deep-space exploration missions.