Artemis

Astronauts make first remarks at jubilant homecoming in Houston after their record-breaking moon flybyStill marveling over their moon mission, the Artemis II astronauts received a thunderous welcome home on Saturday from hundreds who took part in setting a record for deep space travel during the US space agency Nasa’s lunar comeback.The crew of four arrived at Ellington Field near Nasa’s Johnson Space Center and Mission Control in Houston, flying in from San Diego, where they splashed down just offshore the evening before. Continue reading...

Even as a triumphant moon flyby primes agency for a 2028 landing, Trump’s proposed budget cuts cast pall on US space programThe astronauts on board Artemis II were “almost poets”, Nasa’s administrator, Jared Isaacman, declared on Friday, referring to their inspiring words as they swung above the lunar surface.They were, he said, “ambassadors for humanity” as they became the first humans to travel to the moon and return safely to Earth since 1972, on a mission that broke a distance record. Continue reading...

The four astronauts are set to touch down on Earth and conclude the 10-day mission after completing moon flybyThe number of human beings who have travelled to the moon and returned safely to Earth will grow to 28 on Friday night when Nasa’s Orion capsule containing four Artemis II astronauts will glide gently to a Pacific Ocean splashdown beneath three giant parachutes.The scheduled 5.07pm PT landing (1.07am BST Saturday) off the coast of San Diego will mark the end of a 10-day lunar odyssey that made the three Americans and one Canadian the first people to travel beyond lower Earth orbit since the final mission of the Apollo program in December 1972. Continue reading...

Astronauts prepare for re-entry several miles off coast of southern California after 10-day lunar fly-by missionThe crew of Artemis II is set to return to earth on Friday following its historic 10-day lunar flyby mission, and Nasa leaders have described the precise logistics needed to get them home.The return will see the Orion capsule traveling at nearly 24,000mph before making a final splashdown several miles off the coast of San Diego. The operation requires multiple teams and careful coordination to safely extract the crew from the spacecraft. Continue reading...

• The Artemis II crew completes its historic lunar flyby mission, with crew members returning to Earth on April 10 after traveling farther from Earth than any humans in decades. • During the mission, the crew captured unprecedented photographs of Earth passing behind the Moon and observed portions of the lunar surface never previously seen by human eyes. • The mission marks a major milestone in NASA's Artemis program, re-inspiring public interest in space exploration through iconic imagery showing Earth's perspective from unprecedented distances.

Nasa astronauts begin journey home having collected eagerly awaited images of impact craters and ridgesNasa’s Artemis II astronauts have described the powerful emotion felt when soaring over the moon as they photographed impact craters, cracks and ridges and began their long journey home.Among the eagerly awaited images captured by the crew, who worked in pairs at the Orion capsule windows, are those of the Earth rising from behind the moon, a solar eclipse and parts of the 590-mile (950km) wide Orientale impact basin that have never been observed with the naked eye. Continue reading...

Astronauts had a call with the US president from space after setting record for the farthest-traveled humans from EarthThe crew of Artemis II phoned home from the moon on Monday night after their record-breaking day, to find Donald Trump musing about how he had saved the US space agency Nasa from closing down and telling the astronauts how much they deserved the honor of the president seeking their autographs.The intermittently uncomfortable 12-minute Earth to space call, facilitated by Nasa administrator and Trump acolyte Jared Isaacman, featured a lengthy period of silence, several references by the president about his friendship with the retired Canadian ice hockey player Wayne Gretzky, and how “America is the hottest country in the world right now”. Continue reading...

• NASA's Artemis II mission surpassed the Apollo 13 record on April 6, 2026, at 1:57 p.m. EDT, reaching beyond 248,655 miles (400,171 km) from Earth as the Orion capsule 'Integrity' looped around the moon's far side. • The mission will peak at 252,760 miles (406,777 km), breaking the prior record by 4,100 miles (6,600 km) during its six-hour lunar flyby, marking the first crewed deep-space mission since Apollo. • This milestone validates life-support systems, navigation, and thermal protection for humans, paving the way for sustained lunar presence under the US Artemis program.

Nasa’s Orion capsule will be just over 4,000 miles above lunar surface, allowing astronauts to see both polesThe four astronauts on Nasa’s Artemis II mission are poised to begin the first flyby of the far side of the moon in more than half a century, bringing them to the furthest point from Earth ever reached by humans.The crew of three Americans and one Canadian earlier entered the moon’s “sphere of influence”, where its gravity has a stronger pull on the spacecraft than Earth’s. Continue reading...

Four astronauts are set to become Earth’s farthest travelled and exceed a 1970 record on the sixth day of the missionArtemis II astronauts are on course to set a new distance record Monday when they fly by the moon without stopping there – and then swing around for planet Earth.The four astronauts – Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch of the US space agency Nasa; and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen – will become Earth’s farthest travelled, going 5,000 miles (8,047km) beyond the moon, exceeding the distance record set by 1970’s ill-fated Apollo 13. Continue reading...

Nasa team get deeper into space than any humans have ever venturedAstronauts on the historic Artemis II mission are expected to reach the far side of the moon on Monday, venturing deeper into space than any humans before them.Nasa has reported satisfaction with progress toward the lunar fly-round since the team’s launch on Wednesday, with the three Americans and one Canadian on course to break the record for maximum range from Earth just as a total solar eclipse awaits. Continue reading...

Astronaut calls fellow Canadian Ryan Gosling’s movie ‘extraordinary’ ahead of Artemis II crew’s lunar fly-aroundThe new space movie Project Hail Mary starring Ryan Gosling has gotten a rave review from more than halfway to the moon.Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen said on Saturday that he and his Artemis II crewmates got to watch the film with their families before launching on the lunar fly-around. He said it was “a real treat” to view the movie while getting ready for his own space adventure. Continue reading...

Capsule’s engine fires up for six minutes, putting crew on track to reach farthest distance travelled by humans in spaceThe four astronauts on the Artemis II mission are approaching 100,000 miles from Earth as they head towards the moon, putting them on track to reach the farthest distance humans have ever travelled into space.The crew have left Earth’s orbit and fired their engines on Thursday for a “translunar injection”, sending the Orion capsule on its trajectory towards the moon. Continue reading...

• NASA's Artemis II mission has reached a critical point of no return, with the Orion spacecraft performing its trans-lunar injection burn and now headed toward the Moon. • The mission represents a major milestone in NASA's efforts to return humans to lunar exploration after decades since the Apollo program. • Artemis II serves as a crucial test flight for the Space Launch System and Orion capsule before planned crewed lunar landings.

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...

• NASA's most powerful rocket, Artemis II, faces its critical pre-launch test essential for future crewed missions. • The test evaluates structural integrity and systems for the high-stakes lunar program. • Success is vital for U.S. leadership in space exploration and timeline adherence.

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...

• NASA's Artemis II mission, the first crewed flight test of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft, has cleared its final hurdle and remains on track for launch no earlier than April 1, 2026. • The mission will send four astronauts—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Jeremy Hansen, and Christina Koch—on a 10-day orbital test around the Moon, validating systems for future lunar landings. • This milestone follows rigorous technical reviews, ensuring crew safety and vehicle performance after lessons from uncrewed Artemis I in 2022.

• NASA announced revisions to its lunar exploration plans, delaying the first crewed Artemis IV landing to early 2028 while pausing the Gateway lunar station to prioritize a surface base. • The International Space Station's retirement is postponed to the mid-2030s, with plans to add detachable modules for a future standalone station, facing pushback from private space firms. • NASA will launch Space Reactor-1 Freedom, a nuclear engine demonstration to Mars, scheduled for December 2028 to test advanced propulsion.

• The Artemis II crew held a virtual media briefing from their quarantine facilities at Kennedy Space Center on March 29, 2026, providing updates on mission preparations and crew status. • The media event represents a standard pre-launch protocol for NASA's crewed lunar missions, allowing the public and press to interact with astronauts before their departure. • This briefing marks a key milestone in the Artemis II mission timeline, bringing the crew closer to their scheduled launch date.

• 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.

• 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...

• 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.

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