Orion Returns From Crewed Shakedown Flight Around The Moon

Irene Klotz Mark Carreau April 11, 2026

HOUSTON—The Artemis II astronauts returned from a nine-day flight test of NASA’s deep-space Orion capsule on April 10, marking the first crewed flight beyond Earth orbit in more than 50 years and setting the stage for a series of missions to establish a base on the Moon. Strapped inside the Orion...

Irene Klotz

Irene Klotz is Senior Space Editor for Aviation Week, based in Cape Canaveral. Before joining Aviation Week in 2017, Irene spent 25 years as a wire service reporter covering human and robotic spaceflight, commercial space, astronomy, science and technology for Reuters and United Press International.

Mark Carreau

Mark is based in Houston, where he has written on aerospace for more than 25 years. While at the Houston Chronicle, he was recognized by the Rotary National Award for Space Achievement Foundation in 2006 for his professional contributions to the public understanding of America's space program through news reporting.

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