The final pre-launch test for NASA’s Artemis 2 mission is official continues. If all goes according to plan, the astronauts may return to the Moon on Sunday, February 8, but the agency may regret it.

Despite the great importance of this mission, there is a surprising lack of public interest in—or even knowledge of—Artemis 2. It is clear that NASA’s public relations team is struggling to get the word out to those not yet rooted in the spaceflight world. This problem has STRUCK Artemis’ program from the beginning, but recent delays, internal turmoil at NASAand the fact that we still years from an actual lunar landing did not help.

The next big step is back to the Moon

Although the Artemis 2 astronauts will not set foot on the lunar surface, it will still be the most exciting manned mission since the Apollo era. NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft will send four astronauts on a 10-day trip around the Moon, carrying them. farther from Earth than any man had traveled before.

Artemis 2 was not only the first crewed test flight for SLS and Orion, but also the first time a woman, a person of color, and a Canadian flew in the lunar environment. By the way, the astronauts Observe parts of the far side of the Moon that no man has ever seen to and conduct biomedical research that will help NASA return to the lunar surface and establish a lasting presence there.

Artemis 2 was clearly more than just a test flight, and yet, humanity’s long-awaited return to deep space hasn’t gotten the attention it deserves. If the mission launches during the February launch window—which opens on February 8 and ends on February 11—there is a real risk that it will be drowned out by the excitement of the Winter Olympic Games in Italy, which STARTS on Friday.

Can’t compete

Sports never fail to dominate media coverage. They are sure to captivate the audience throughout the 10-day mission of Artemis 2 when the two overlap. The Paris 2024 Summer Olympics are most streamed The Olympics of all time, with a combined average of 30.6 million viewers on NBCU platforms, according to the media conglomerate.

If Artemis 2 lifts as soon as the launch window opens this coming Sunday, it will also coincide with the Super Bowl—the most viewed annual sporting event in the United States. Artemis 2 will launch about an hour after the game at around 10:30pm ET, and if NASA thought a bunch of beer-drunk, chicken-winged Americans would stay up late to watch a rocket launch, the agency was sorely mistaken.

The thing is, NASA really needs Americans to care about Artemis 2. Their tax dollars and voting power will keep the Artemis program running long enough for the agency to achieve its goals of returning to the lunar surface, building a base on the Moon, and eventually sending people to Mars. Without sustained public interest and political will, this multi-billion-dollar effort could easily become an easy budget target.

Artemis 2 is NASA’s chance to show the nation that it’s ready to enter a new era of spaceflight, but it won’t do it without anyone watching. While this spaceflight reporter is as excited as anyone to see this historic mission off the ground, it is wise for NASA to leave the February window and instead work toward the opportunities for the March launch, which will run from March 6 to 11. We have waited 50 years to return to the Moon, so we can wait a few more weeks.

Rest assured, Gizmodo has Artemis 2 covered from launch to splashdown no matter what. Watch this space if you don’t want to miss an update about this historic mission.