Artemis II

NASA’s Artemis II astronauts returned into the gravitational sphere of Earth April 7 as they continued a free-return trajectory due to end with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on April 10.

Administrator Jared Isaacman spoke to NASA's future on his visit to Wichita on April 6, where he toured local suppliers contributing to the space program.

The Artemis II astronauts wrapped up 7 hr. of lunar observations, including studies of far-side surface features never before seen by humans.

Artemis II astronauts break distance records and offer unprecedented insights into the Moon's surface, paving the way for future lunar exploration.

The Artemis II astronauts will swing around the Moon on April 6, gazing upon lunar far-side surface features never before seen by human eyes.

The Artemis crew of four astronauts are set to break human spaceflight milestone.

The four Artemis II crewmembers continued their outbound journey from Earth to the Moon on April 3, 99,900 mi. from Earth and 161,750 mi. from their lunar destination.

The agency wants commercial companies to take on a larger role in its Artemis lunar exploration initiative.

After 20 years of development, an Orion spacecraft flies with crew for the first time.

Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.

Artemis II mission crewmembers conducted a translunar injection maneuver on April 2 that placed their Orion capsule on a trajectory around the Moon.

Astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft Integrity awoke midway through their first sleep cycle since launch on April 1 to oversee an orbit-raising maneuver.

More than 60 years ago, the U.S. launched its first and so far only nuclear fission reactor into space. NASA aims to change that in 2.5 years.

Artemis II crewmembers took manual control of their spacecraft for a series of planned proximity maneuvers in Earth orbit late April 1 before their journey around the Moon.

CAPE CANAVERAL—After decades of development and false starts, NASA on April 1 launched the first crew in more than 50 years on a mission to leave Earth orbit and travel to the vicinity of the Moon.

With no technical issues and a favorable weather outlook, NASA on April 1 fueled the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket for liftoff between 6:24-8:24 p.m. EDT on the Artemis II flight test.

Countdown clocks at the Kennedy Space Center began ticking down toward launch of NASA’s Artemis II flight test.

SpaceX has lost communication with a Starlink satellite on orbit following a March 29 anomaly, the company disclosed on social media March 30.

The two-day countdown for NASA’s Artemis II flight test, which is expected to become the first human spaceflight beyond Earth orbit in more than 53 years, is on track to begin March 30.

The four-member Artemis II flight crew returned to Kennedy Space Center March 27 for a second attempt to launch.

The agency wants commercial companies to take on a larger role in its Artemis lunar exploration initiative.

Advances in science are to play a significant role in the revision of the Artemis program’s strategy.

NASA’s repositioning of the Artemis program and efforts to build a Moon base should be a boon to the rocket industry.

NASA has unveiled sweeping changes to its Artemis exploration initiative.

The fully stacked Artemis II Space Launch System rocket and Orion crew capsule were back on the launchpad March 20.