Articles about Moon

Nasa mission enters its second day, with crew hoping to become first people to get close to the moon in over 50 yearsFour astronauts are preparing to leave Earth’s orbit and slingshot towards the moon as Nasa’s Artemis II mission enters its second day.The high-stakes 10-day voyage will mark the first time in half a century that humans leave space close to Earth and return to the vicinity of the moon. It is a crucial test of Nasa’s ambition to land humans back on the lunar surface this decade, and stay there permanently. Continue reading...

Follow latest updates, including how to watch the launch, as four astronauts prepare to set off on a 685,000-mile journey with millions watchingA two-hour launch window for Artemis II opens at 6.24pm EST (11.24pm BST) after an almost four-hour fueling process. Nasa’s final weather briefing on Tuesday reported an 80% chance of favorable conditions for launch.Mission managers will be watching closely data from launchpad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center, as well as real-time and forecast weather information. Any last-minute technical issue or weather violation can cause a scrubbed launch attempt, or a delay, right up to T-0 (the moment the countdown clock reaches zero). Continue reading...

Fully crewed rocket will head to moon from Florida – first time since 1972 that humans will have left lower Earth orbitA little more than an hour before sunset on Florida’s space coast, up to 400,000 people packed on beaches and causeways will look to the heavens on Wednesday to witness a fiery spectacle not seen in almost 54 years: a fully crewed Nasa rocket heading back to the moon.The launch of Artemis II, scheduled for 6.24pm ET if weather and any late technical gremlins grant their consent, marks the first time since the Apollo 17 mission of December 1972 that humans will have left lower Earth orbit. Continue reading...

• Researchers developed a legged robot capable of independent navigation on lunar and Martian terrain, scanning rocks and collecting data without constant human input. • The robot underwent analogue tests in the Marslabor at the University of Basel, demonstrating rapid resource identification for future missions. • This innovation accelerates prospecting for water ice and minerals, critical for sustaining human presence beyond Earth.

• NASA announced a $20 billion moonbase initiative on March 25, 2026, as part of expanded lunar exploration plans. • Simultaneously, unprecedented wildfires ravaged Colorado, Great Plains, and Nebraska, with one fire scorching over 600,000 acres (240,000 hectares) in days. • The blazes highlight escalating climate-driven fire risks in the US West and Midwest.

• NASA announced an accelerated timeline for America's return to the lunar surface, with Artemis 4 lunar landing attempts beginning in 2028. • The National Space Policy implementation includes preparations for establishing a moon base and increased mission cadence under NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman's leadership. • This ambitious plan reflects commitment to sustained lunar exploration and positions the United States to never relinquish moon dominance while advancing toward Mars missions.

New Nasa chief, Jared Isaacman, has outlined several changes to flagship moon programme ArtemisNasa is cancelling plans to deploy a space station in lunar orbit and will instead use its components to construct a $20bn base on the moon’s surface over the next seven years, its new chief, Jared Isaacman, said on Tuesday.Isaacman, who was sworn in at the agency in December, made the announcement at the opening of a day-long event at Nasa’s Washington headquarters at which he outlinedchanges he is making to the agency’s flagship moon programme Artemis. Continue reading...

• NASA released initiatives on March 24, 2026, to advance America's National Space Policy, including an RFI for payloads supporting 2027-2028 lunar flights and the Rosalind Franklin Rover launch to Mars in 2028 with a mass spectrometer for organic matter analysis. • A new Earth science mission launching next year will measure convective storm dynamics to predict extreme weather up to six hours in advance; near-term lunar payloads include VIPER rover and LuSEE-Night, with up to 30 robotic landings from 2027. • These efforts ensure U.S. presence in low Earth orbit, expedite lunar science via commercial partnerships, and release new Saturn images from James Webb and Hubble telescopes, underpinning future Moon and Mars exploration.

• NASA holds a public event at Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters in Washington on March 24, 2026, at 9:00 am to detail accelerated preparations for America's return to the Moon's surface by 2028. • The 'Ignition: NASA’s Plan for the Moon' coverage focuses on agency strategies for lunar missions under the Artemis program. • This announcement underscores NASA's commitment to rapid progress in space exploration amid U.S. leadership in returning humans to the Moon after over 50 years.

• NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket for the Artemis 2 mission began rollout from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Complex 39B on March 20, 2026, targeting first motion at 8 p.m. EDT (0000 GMT). • The four Artemis 2 astronauts entered quarantine at Johnson Space Center in Houston on March 18 at 6 p.m. EDT, limiting exposure before heading to Kennedy Space Center five days prior to launch. • Rollout addresses a helium flow issue in the rocket's upper stage, with teams planning to install access platforms, replace batteries in the flight termination system, and retest components upon return to the VAB if needed.

Moon orbit program, preceding planned landing in 2028, has been delayed due to fuel leaks and clogged helium linesFor the second time this year, Nasa moved its moon rocket from the hangar out toward the launchpad on Friday in hopes of sending four astronauts on a lunar fly-around next month.If the latest repairs work and everything else goes Nasa’s way, the Space Launch System could blast off as early as 1 April from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. The Artemis II crew went into quarantine this week in Houston in preparation for blastoff. Continue reading...

After series of delays, US space agency hopes to carry out first crewed flyby of the moon in more than half a century Nasa has begun returning its towering SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft to its Florida launch pad ahead of a planned flyby of the moon, after completing necessary repairs.Artemis engineers began the manoeuvre, which can take up to 12 hours, at 8pm local time. The US space agency will then begin the final preparations before its next launch window opens on 1 April. Continue reading...

• NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket for Artemis 2 began rollout from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Complex 39B on March 19, targeting first motion at 8 p.m. EDT (0000 GMT March 20) for a 12-hour, 4-mile journey. • The rollout follows repairs for a helium flow issue in the upper stage, battery replacements in the flight termination system, and two prior wet dress rehearsals marred by leaks since the initial January 17 rollout. • The four Artemis 2 astronauts entered quarantine on March 18 at Johnson Space Center, limiting exposure for a week before heading to Kennedy Space Center five days before the planned April 1 launch.

NASA crew members practise emergency rescue drills in a 40-foot-deep pool simulating the lunar surface, as part of tests on a new generation of spacesuit, the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit

As it faces yet another set of delays, NASA’s Artemis programme is being shaken up, delaying an actual moon landing in favour of smaller, faster steps forward