While Artemis II won't touch down on the lunar terrain - NASA targets putting astronauts on the surface by 2030, though China competes to arrive first - it will journey 6,400 miles beyond the Moon's far side: the most distant humans have ever ventured into the cosmos.

SpaceX is set to launch its third mission of the year from the Space Coast on Monday afternoon while preparing for the early return later this week of Crew-11 from the International Space Station.

The increasing number of commercial space launches and the upward trend in upmass serve as unmistakable signs of space industry growth. Space is a high-risk, high-reward industry, however. Space launches are expensive, and space companies often operate at a loss for years while developing their businesses.