All articles tagged with #moon mission
Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen is stepping down from his full-time role with the Canadian Space Agency to transition into an ongoing space-support position, while remaining a Royal Canadian Air Force reservist; he helped lead Artemis II and says the mission continues for Canada.
Ars Technica's Ars Live recap features a panel debating when Blue Origin's New Glenn (especially the 9×4 variant) will fly, with no firm debut date and speculation of a late-2027/early-2028 timeline. Experts warn that adding more engines complicates the design and could delay milestones, potentially pushing NASA's Moon-landing plans this decade to rely on SpaceX's Starship rather than waiting for New Glenn. The discussion also touches on past architectural changes and the loss of Launch Complex 36A, highlighting ongoing uncertainty about achieving Artemis-era lunar missions.
Space.com notes Jules Verne’s 1860s novels From the Earth to the Moon and All Around the Moon described a three-astronaut lunar voyage on a near-equatorial launch and a free-return trajectory, with realistic details like orbital dynamics that eerily echo NASA’s Artemis 2, while also noting Verne’s missteps (instant cannon acceleration). The piece highlights Verne’s lasting influence on real space exploration, supported by Neil Armstrong’s remark that he foresaw lunar missions.
NASA announced the Artemis III crew—Andre Douglas, Frank Rubio, Luca Parmitano and Randy Bresnik—with Bob Heintz as backup, for a 2027 lunar mission that will practice in-space docking with landers from Blue Origin and SpaceX as a stepping stone to a future Moon landing.
NASA unveiled Artemis III’s four-astronaut crew—Randy Bresnik (commander), Andre Douglas, Frank Rubio, and Luca Parmitano (ESA pilot)—for a late‑2027 mission that will stay in low‑Earth orbit to test Orion docking with a lunar lander (launched separately, possibly SpaceX’s Starship and/or Blue Origin’s Blue Moon) as a precursor to a moon landing expected as early as 2028; a wet dress rehearsal of the SLS rocket is planned by year’s end.
Space.com breaks down likely Artemis 3 crew contenders ahead of NASA's June 9 announcement, highlighting frontrunners such as Raja Chari, Nicole Mann, Jasmin Moghbeli and Kayla Barron, with others like Andre Douglas and Stephanie Wilson in contention; Artemis 3 will operate in low Earth orbit to practice rendezvous with lunar landers and test new EVA capabilities, with possible involvement from ESA or CSA depending on lander readiness and ISS scheduling.
Artemis II’s four astronauts—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen—made a record-breaking return after a ten-day mission that took them a peak 252,756 miles from Earth, the farthest humans have traveled. Beyond the technical feat, their postflight messages center on personal connections, nature, and teamwork—calling old friends, appreciating the natural world, and embracing failure—rather than space-themed slogans.
Artemis II’s crew—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen—told MSNBC’s Morning Joe that the historic lunar mission sparked a global moment of unity: the world paused to watch, inspiring hope for humanity. They credited decades of NASA work and international collaboration (including Hansen as the first Canadian to orbit the Moon and Glover as the first Black astronaut to do so) and Koch’s reminder that this was the culmination of years of dreams. The astronauts underscored that a shared sense of positivity and cooperation on Earth matters as much as the journey to the Moon.
NASA astronaut Christina Koch describes her postflight recovery after Artemis II, recounting a wobble during a blindfold balance test and highlighting how microgravity disrupts balance, proprioception, and early readaptation. Her roughly 10-day Moon mission—alongside Artemis II crewmates Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Jeremy Hansen—is being monitored to study recovery, with NASA-backed countermeasures (exercise gear, diet, supplements) and mental health support helping astronauts readjust to Earth as scientists track short- and long-term physiological changes.
NASA rolled out the Space Launch System core stage for Artemis III, a 212-foot-tall rocket section built by Boring and L3Harris, marking a key step toward the first crewed lunar landing in more than 50 years. The core stage will power Artemis III’s mission, slated for 2027, with final assembly on Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center after its transport from Michoud.
PBS's NOVA documentary Return to the Moon, focused on Artemis II, aired on TV on April 15 and is now streaming in full on YouTube, offering an in-depth look at the mission's planning, crew, and the engineering challenges of a crewed lunar flyby.
Six days after Artemis II completed its lunar loop and returned to Earth, the crew—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen—told reporters at Johnson Space Center that landing astronauts on the Moon is the next major objective, with Wiseman joking that a first-flight lander aboard could have several crewmates lining up to try a lunar landing.
The Artemis II quartet—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen—took questions at a Johnson Space Center briefing after a 10-day lunar flyby and homecoming, livestreamed by NASA. They described the high-speed reentry and possible heat shield char loss but called the ride largely smooth, discussed the intense mental and emotional strain of deep-space flight, and praised their crew bond, while underscoring NASA’s plans to push toward a sustained lunar presence and bolder exploration.
Artemis II pilot Victor Glover returned to League City, Texas, to a cheering crowd after a 10-day, 695,000-mile mission that saw the crew become the first to view the Moon's far side; Christina Koch became the first woman on the Moon, Glover the first Black astronaut on the Moon, and Jeremy Hansen the first non-U.S. citizen to do so, while Glover urged neighbors to be more neighborly and to love one another.
Artemis 2 crew—Victor Glover, Christina Koch, Reid Wiseman and Jeremy Hansen—celebrated after a Pacific splashdown that ended a 10-day lunar flyby, marking NASA's first crewed lunar mission since Apollo and signaling progress toward the Artemis program.