It'll only be a "go-and-quit" scenario, just like Apollo.

Sometimes, people complain that the Artemis Project is planning "just another flags-and-footprints" mission. The confusion might come from the emphasis on the Reference Mission. We are using the Reference Mission to analyze the technical, financial, and political issues associated with establishing a permanent exploration base, but the Reference Mission is far from being the entire plans or end goal of Artemis Project.

The goal of the Artemis Project is to establish a permanent human presence on the Moon. From the initial infrastructure, humankind will expand out into the solar system, and beyond throughout the cosmos. The moon is a vital first step. The resources of the moon make the rest of it financially viable. Even development in low Earth orbit will be far less costly with an industrial infrastructure on the moon.

Landing a permanent exploration base in a resource-rich part of the moon is the vital first step toward establishing a permanent human presence there. That's what the Reference Mission is all about. It's not the first flight we expect to make -- we're actively developing our first robotic lander now -- but this is the mission that links us to the moon forever. Rather than being the end of the Artemis Project, the Reference Mission is the beginning.