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NASA's Artemis Program: Live updates
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Helpful Artemis Acronyms SLS: Space Launch System rocket ICPS: Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage KSC: Kennedy Space Center VAB: Vehicle Assembly Building CSA: Canadian Space Agency ESA: European Space Agency HLS: Human Landing Services NASA's Artemis 2 mission is expected to launch between Feb. and April 2026. Artemis 2 will send three NASA astronauts and one Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut around the moon for the humanity's first lunar excursion in more than 50 years. The mission will launch the crew aboard an Orion spacecraft on NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, on a free-return trajectory lunar flyby to the moon and back to Earth. You can launch a Space Launch System of your own with this Estes NASA SLS model rocket for a 1:200 scale version of NASA's moon megarocket. Read more about it. View Deal Artemis 2 is the last test flight before the Artemis 3 crewed moon landing mission, scheduled for 2027. Meet the Artemis 2 crew | Artemis 2 explained | Latest news NASA to announce Artemis 2 crew today At long last, we're going to learn which astronauts will fly NASA's first crewed mission to the moon of the Artemis generation. Today, April 3, NASA and the Canadian Space Agency will announce the four astronauts who will fly on the Artemis 2 mission around the moon in 2024. That crew is expected to include one Canadian astronaut and three NASA astronauts, but exactly who is yet to be revealed. NASA will announce the crew in an event at Ellington Field near the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas at 11 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT). staff writer Elizabeth Howell is on the scene at the event alongside contributor Robert Pearlman of You'll be able to watch it live on as well as at the top of this page at start time. While we wait, here's a nifty trailer from NASA for today's Artemis 2 crew reveal. NASA Artemis 2 moon crew announcement underway NASA's Artemis 2 moon astronaut crew reveal is underway live on NASA TV. Speaking before a huge crowd at the Ellington Field in Houston, NASA's chief astronaut Joe Acaba began by inviting the entire astronaut corps to the stage. "Your Artemis 2 astronauts are in the room with you ... I am not one of them," he said. Canada's government minister responsible for space, François-Philippe Champagne, hailed the 60 year partnership of NASA + CSA and Canada's contribution of the CanadArm3 for the Gateway station around the moon: "We're going to the moon!" he cheered. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson is now preparing to introduce the crew. This post has been corrected to reflect François-Philippe Champagne's proper title. Artemis 2 Moon Astronauts Revealed! NASA chief Bill Nelson has unveiled the first astronaut crew to visit the moon in more than 50 years. They Artemis 2 crew are: Commander Reid Wiseman, NASA Reid Wiseman, 47, spent 165 days in Earth orbit on his first mission, a 2014 flight to the ISS. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, and former fighter pilot for the U.S. Navy, he was selected for NASA's 20th astronaut class in 2009. Wiseman recently served as chief of NASA's astronaut office from 2020 to 2022. Pilot Victor Glover, NASA Victor Glover, 46, became a NASA astronaut in 2013. He flew as pilot of SpaceX's first operational crewed spaceflight (Crew-1) and logged 167 days on the ISS in 2021. Born in Pomona, California, he is an engineer and captain in the U.S. Navy. Glover was the first Black astronaut to serve on a space station crew. Mission Specialist Christina Koch, NASA Christina Koch, 44, was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan and raised in Jacksonville, North Carolina. A member of NASA's 21st astronaut class selected in 2013, Koch set a record aboard the International Space Station for the single longest mission by a woman at 328 days. During that 2019 stay, she was also one-half of the first-ever all-female spacewalk. Koch is an engineer and former U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) station chief. Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, Canadian Space Agency Jeremy Hansen, 47, was chosen to join Canada's astronaut corps in 2009. A colonel in the Royal Canadian Air Force, he was born in London, Ontario. Though Artemis 2 will be his first time in space, Hansen served as an aquanaut aboard the Aquarius underwater lab in 2014 and took a turn as a "cavenaut" as part of the European Space Agency's CAVES astronaut training course the year prior. Artemis 2 astronauts thrilled for moon mission The four astronauts of NASA's Artemis 2 mission are thrilled, to say the least, to be on the crew that will send the first humans to the moon in more than 50 years. You can read our full story here. Set to launch on a Space Launch System megarocket in 2024, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency will fly around the moon, much like Apollo 8, on their Orion spacecraft. Here's what they had to say of the mission today: Commander Reid Wiseman: "This is a global effort, Artemis 2, and it's only going to get larger with Artemis 3 and beyond as we get private spaceflight involved. SpaceX is building our lander for Artemis 3. So to the NASA workforce, to our program managers, our center directors that are here, the amazing political support that we feel right now to bring our country together to bring our entire world together to go explore to get to Mars and beyond, we say a huge thank you." Pilot Victor Glover: "We need to celebrate this moment in human history. Because Artemis two is more than a mission to the moon and it's more than a mission that has to happen before we send people to the surface of the moon. It is the next step on the journey that gets humanity to Mars."Human spaceflight is like a relay race, and that baton has been passed generation to generation and from crew member to crew member from the Gemini, Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Apollo Soyuz, Skylab Mir, the shuttle, International Space Station, commercial crew and and now the Artemis missions. We understand our role in that. And when we have the privilege of having that baton. We're going to do our best to run a good race to make you proud. I pray that God will bless this mission. But I also pray that we can continue to serve as a source of inspiration for cooperation and peace, not just between nations, but in our own nation." Mission specialist Christina Koch: "When I think about this mission, that's a relay race with international partners, it's all so awesome in and of itself. "We are going to launch for Kennedy Space Center to the work of the exploration Ground Systems team. We're going to hear the words go for launch on top of the most powerful rocket NASA's ever made the Space Launch System, and we're gonna ride that rocket for eight minutes into Earth orbit. We're not going to go to the moon right away. We're gonna stay in an amazing high orbit, reaching a peak of tens of thousands of miles while we test out all the systems on Orion and see how it maneuvers in space. And then if everything was good, we're heading to the moon. "It will be a four day journey, going a quarter of a million miles, continuing to test out every bit of Orion going around the far side of the moon, heading home going through the Earth's atmosphere at over 25,000 miles per hour and splashing down in the Pacific. So am I excited? Absolutely. But my real question is Are you excited? I asked that because the one thing I'm most excited about is that we are going to carry your excitement, your aspirations, your dreams with us on this mission. Artemis to your mission." Mission specialist Jeremy Hansen: "Our scientists or engineers, the Canadian Space Agency, the Canadian Armed Forces across government, all of our leadership working together under a vision to take step by step and all of those have added up to this moment where a Canadian is going to the moon with our international partnership and it is glorious." Artemis 2 mission benefits from Canadian winter experience Cold weather is helping to boost the fortunes of Canada in space, including its contributions to Artemis 2. Astronaut Jeremy Hansen will the first non-American to leave low Earth orbit, alongside three NASA crewmates, no earlier than 2024. Canadian leader and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau argues that Canada's winter experience is one big reason for its success in space. Trudeau emphasized that working in Canada's north helped with numerous kinds of technology, including the Canadarm robotic arm series that has provided Canadian astronaut seats for nearly 40 years. The Arctic in particular represents "some of the harshest environments" available to humans, and Trudeau joked that when asked about why Canada does so well in space, he responds: "Obvious. Winter." Read more: Winter is coming: Artemis 2 moon mission gets boost from Canadian cold Artemis 2 astronaut completes vision quest An Artemis 2 astronaut recently finished a vision quest to help prepare for his upcoming trip around the moon. Jeremy Hansen recently participated in the four-day Indigenous rite of passage as part of Artemis 2 mission training, the Canadian Space Agency astronaut tweeted. "I would like to express my gratitude to Anishinaabe Elder David Courchene III 'Sabe' for the gracious invitation," Hansen said of the ceremony, which took place at Turtle Lodge in Manitoba on the lands of the Sagkeeng First Nation (also known as Fort Alexander). On Tuesday (June 13), Hansen added he has completed the ceremony and "I have a renewed appreciation for all that Mother Earth provides, especially water." Read more: Artemis 2 astronaut goes on vision quest to prepare for moon mission Artemis 2 astronaut plays cowboy at Calgary Stampede Canadian Artemis 2 moon astronaut Jeremy Hansen, partnering with his borrowed horse Cisco, pretended to be a cowboy at Canada's Calgary Stampede fair last week in the western province of Alberta. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, who flew on the space shuttle Columbia in 1986 while a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, also visited the event. The two appeared in flight suits and cowboy hats as part of the celebration of cowboy culture, which annually draws a million participants. Read more: Yeehaw! NASA chief and Artemis 2 moon astronaut play cowboy for a day (photo) 3 Orion spacecraft line up for their moon missions Three crew-carrying spacecraft are getting ready for their big moon missions. The Orion capsules for the Artemis 2, Artemis 3 and Artemis 4 moon missions are coming together at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida under stewardship of contractor Lockheed Martin. "The future of @NASA_Orion is looking pretty good," Lockheed officials wrote on Twitter Friday (July 14) of the three spacecraft, each of which is expected to ferry astronauts to the moon starting in late 2024 or so. Read more: These 3 Orion spacecraft will carry Artemis astronauts to the moon (photo) Artemis 2 crew member praises NASA supersonic jet A moon astronaut recently honored the decades of supersonic trainer work that NASA has put in with its T-38s. Artemis 2 Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen praised the supersonic T-38 trainer jet for its ability to keep astronauts on their toes while in flight. "We use these airplanes because they're challenging," Hansen said in a video released Tuesday (July 18) on the CSA's social media channels. Manufacturer Northrop Grumman says more than 72,000 U.S. Air Force pilots have trained in the T-38 since it first rolled off the line in 1961. Though it was only manufactured until 1972, more than 500 continue to be used by both the Air Force and NASA. Read more: Artemis 2 moon astronaut explains risk of flying NASA's supersonic training jet Artemis 2 astronauts deep in moon training The first moon crew in 52 years, Artemis 2, includes a lot of diversity. They've been to the International Space Station, the U.S. Senate, in combat and in many other locations. Now as the foursome — NASA's Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and the Canadian Space Agency's Jeremy Hansen — get ready for the moon, lead training officer Jacki Mahaffey told how she is using their experience in training. Read more: How Artemis 2 astronauts are training for their 2024 moon mission NASA finishes first practice countdown for Artemis 2 The Artemis 2 launching team at NASA recently finished their first dress rehearsal to send four astronauts safely into space to go around the moon. This crucial "sim" is one of many that NASA will do for the November 2024 mission. The mission includes NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. Read more: NASA practices for 2024 launch of Artemis 2 moon mission Artemis 2 moon astronauts do splashdown training with US Navy The Artemis 2 astronauts worked with the U.S. Navy team recently on splashdown operations. The Navy and NASA are training to recover the four-person crew, which will circle around the moon no earlier than November 2024, after they complete their 10-day mission. While the crew familiarized themselves with the team and procedures, NASA and the Department of Defense practiced recovery operations nearby San Diego using equipment such as helicopters, boats and the USS John P. Murtha. Read more: See Artemis 2 moon astronauts train with US Navy for Orion splashdown (photos, video) Artemis 2 moon astronauts rehearse for launch day The Artemis 2 moon astronauts practiced for launch day at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday (Sept. 20), complete with spacesuits and a drive to the launch pad to ascend the mobile launcher. "I just had images of all those Apollo launches and shuttle launches that I saw as a kid and it was unreal," Artemis 2 pilot Victor Glover said in a NASA statement. "I actually had to stop and just stay in the moment to really let it all sink in." Aboard the round-the-moon mission, slated to launch in late 2024, will be NASA commander Reid Wiseman, NASA pilot Victor Glover (the first person of color to leave Earth orbit), NASA mission specialist Christina Koch (the first woman to do so) and the Canadian Space Agency's Jeremy Hansen (the first non-American). Read more: Artemis 2 astronaut crew suits up for moon launch dress rehearsal (photos, video) How Artemis 2 moon astronauts will live in space The Artemis 2 astronauts and other personnel are testing living activities the crew will do on the 10-day moon mission, including sleeping, eating and of course, going to the bathroom. The four astronauts will spend all of their time in the Orion spacecraft, learning how to live and work together in a small space. Read more: Here's how Artemis 2 astronauts will exercise, sleep and use the toilet on their moon mission (photos) Artemis 2 core stage faces welding issues: report While Artemis 2 remains on track for its round-the-moon mission with astronauts in 2024, welding issues on the core stage of its massive rocket are ongoing, a report suggests. The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket's core stage, expected to launch the four-astronaut Artemis 2 around the moon, is facing unspecified "weld issues" during assembly at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama. The issue was reported in NASA Spaceflight and NASA did not immediately respond to queries from about the matter. Read more: Welding issues stall Artemis 2 moon rocket's assembly, but 2024 mission still on track: report NASA shows off Artemis moon astronauts' electric car for launch pad rides NASA recently displayed the shiny inside of its new fleet of astronaut cars from Canoo Technologies Inc., all assigned to the Artemis program. It was the first look at the interior ahead of the debut crew Artemis 2, using the all-electric vehicles to get the the launch pad for their round-the-moon mission starting in 2024. The moon crew's car interior came to light at a racing event: The Formula 1 (F1) Grand Prix of the United States in Austin, Texas between Oct. 20 and 22. Artemis 2 astronauts Reid Wiseman (from NASA) and Jeremy Hansen (from the Canadian Space Agency) also were there on Oct. 22 talking with some of the racing companies. Read more: NASA's Artemis moon astronauts will ride to the launch pad in these sleek electric cars (photos) Orion spacecraft for Artemis astronaut moon mission assembled NASA's astronaut moon spacecraft is under assembly. The Orion spacecraft for Artemis 2's round-the-moon mission in 2024 had its crew and service modules joined at NASA on Oct. 19. More tests are planned on the joined pieces, including power-on examinations and altitude chamber testing. It's a significant milestone for the mission that will carry four astronauts to lunar realms in just over a year. Read more: Artemis 2 Orion spacecraft comes together ahead of 2024 moon mission (photos) Artemis 2 mobile launcher soaked in 'water flow test' The mobile launcher for Artemis 2, a big moon mission, got soaked Tuesday (Oct. 24) in a mission safety test ahead of the 2024 mission. The mobile launcher that will be used to launch the powerful Space Launch System rocket had a "water flow test", the third at NASA's Kennedy Space Center to "verify the overpressure protection and sound suppression system is ready for launch," NASA officials wrote in a brief statement Thursday (Oct. 26). "During liftoff, 400,000 gallons (1.5 million liters) of water will rush onto the pad to help protect NASA's SLS rocket, Orion spacecraft, mobile launcher, and launch pad from any over pressurization and extreme sound produced during ignition and liftoff," agency officials added. Read more: Watch NASA's Artemis 2 mobile rocket launcher get soaked during water deluge test (video) Canadian astronaut ready for the moon, his first mission in space After 15 years waiting for space, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen is getting ready for the moon. He is one of the mission specialists aboard Artemis 2, which aims to launch four astronauts in 2024, and says the first seven months of training for the NASA mission is reinforcing to him all the years of experience he already has in assisting with human space missions and space policy. "The only thing that does feel different is that there is this personal aspect of, 'I've been working to actually fly in space and do the astronaut aspects'," Hansen told in an exclusive 30-minute interview on Friday (Oct. 27.) "It does feel like it's getting closer, and much closer, than it's ever felt before. So there is that sense, and that is really fun for me." Read more: Artemis 2 moon astronaut says crew is ready for ambitious 2024 mission Boosters assemble! Artemis 2 moon rockets come together in new video An astronaut moon rocket comes together at NASA in a new epic video. Twin rocket boosters for Artemis 2, now being assembled at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, will assist the agency's powerful Space Launch System rocket as it sends four astronauts on a round-the-moon mission in 2024. You can watch KSC teams piece together parts of each booster's aft assembly – the booster part that steers them during flight. Read more: Watch NASA build Artemis 2 astronaut moon rocket boosters ahead of 2024 launch (video) Artemis 2 moon spacecraft powers on ahead of 2024 mission The Orion spacecraft for Artemis 2 powered on this week successfully ahead of its historic moon mission with four astronauts in 2024. Seeing power flow to Orion was a large milestone following the moment when the American-made crew module and European Service Module (ESM) joined at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in mid-October, according to the European Space Agency (ESA). Once ready, Orion will carry NASA's Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and the Canadian Space Agency's Jeremy Hansen, who are undergoing 18 months of training to get ready for the first human moon mission in 52 years. Read more: NASA powers up Artemis 2 Orion spacecraft ahead of 2024 moon mission Artemis 2 readies for astronaut moon launch 1 year after Artemis 1 Space fans, get ready to start your moon engines. NASA's Artemis 1 uncrewed moon mission lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida on Nov. 16, 2022. One year later, the next moon rocket ride for astronauts is in testing for a new mission that could launch in late 2024. The crewed mission, known as Artemis 2, will send four astronauts around the moon. As the quartet continue their complex training, their Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, side boosters, Orion spacecraft and other key elements are under assembly in various parts of the United States. Read more: 1 year after Artemis 1 launch, NASA readies Artemis 2 to shoot for the moon again (video) Canadian Space Agency names backup astronaut for Artemis 2 The Canadian Space Agency may bring the third Canadian woman into space as soon as 2024, should she be needed for a moon mission. Fire scientist Jenni Gibbons was named Tuesday (Nov. 22) as backup for Jeremy Hansen, the CSA astronaut flying around the moon with Artemis 2 in 2024. The CSA is a signatory to the NASA-led Artemis Accords that has two purposes: peaceful space exploration norms and for some participants, moon missions. That wasn't the only big space news for CSA on Tuesday. Canada typically receives missions every six years based on its ISS contributions, and current spacecraft capacity. The next long-duration mission will be with Joshua Kutryk, a test pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force, will fly on the first operational Boeing Starliner mission in 2025 for a half-year mission to the ISS. Read more: Canada assigns astronauts to launch on Boeing's Starliner, back up Artemis 2 moon mission Artemis 2 astronauts autograph moon rocket The Artemis 2 crew signed their names Monday (Nov. 27) on the adapter for their Orion spacecraft, which will be mounted on top of the massive Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The rocket will send them around the moon in 2024. The four astronauts, wearing cleanroom outfits, were visiting NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The adapter will be under Orion during the launch, the first human one to the moon since 1972. Read more: Artemis 2 moon astronauts autograph their own rocket 1 year before launch Artemis 2 moon mission hardware building up at NASA centers NASA's Artemis 2 mission remains on track to send four astronauts around the moon in late 2024. The crew is continuing their training while the hardware that will carry them to space — the Orion capsule and giant Space Launch System (SLS) rocket — is being readied at different NASA centers. Read more: NASA building giant Artemis 2 moon rocket ahead of 2024 launch Artemis 2 moon astronauts meet President Biden NASA's Artemis 2 moon crew, led by NASA, met with U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday (Dec. 14) and talked with reporters afterwards about the support Biden is offering for the historic mission, the first to fly to the moon with humans since 1972. The crew talked to Biden "about their training and science plans for the mission, set to launch in late 2024," according to a small update on NASA HQ Photo's X account (formerly Twitter). Aside from Wiseman, the Artemis 2 astronauts include NASA pilot Victor Glover (the first person of color to leave low Earth orbit), NASA mission specialist Christina Koch (the first woman) and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen (the first non-American). Read more: Artemis 2 astronauts meet President Biden to talk America's next trip to the moon that time when 3 moon astronauts once flew, supersonic-style, by a NASA lunar rocket on the pad Artemis 2 commander Reid Wiseman helped organize a special event in 2022: he was part of a group of astronauts flying the famous T-38 jet trainers past the Artemis 1 SLS on the launch pad on Aug. 23, 2022. Nobody knew it back then, but three of the four Artemis 2 crew were in the tight formation: Wiseman, NASA mission specialist Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency mission specialist Jeremy Hansen. (Only absent was NASA pilot Victor Glover, who was away on other duties at the time.) Read more: What's it like to buzz an Artemis SLS moon rocket with a supersonic jet? NASA's Artemis 2 commander tells all Artemis 2's NASA backup astronaut named to moon mission NASA astronaut Andre Douglas will serve as backup for the three U.S. astronauts on the Artemis 2 round-the-moon flight, the agency announced today (July 3). Douglas will back up commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover and mission specialist Christina Koch. Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, who is also a mission specialist on Artemis 2, already has a backup: astronaut Jenni Gibbons, also with CSA. "I've always been fascinated with new things. I like to develop things," Douglas told in March about the Artemis program, which later this decade aims to put astronauts on the moon's surface for the first time since 1972. "I really believe in pushing ourselves, in understanding what is our true potential: both me as an individual, [and] within all of us as a species." "This is the perfect place to be, where we're going to push that boundary," he said. Read more: NASA announces Artemis 2 moon mission backup astronaut — Andre Douglas will support 2025 lunar liftoff Artemis 2 core stage to arrive at KSC NASA will livestream the arrival of the Artemis 2 core stage at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Wednesday (July 23) on X, the agency announced. The livestream will start at 9:30 a.m. EDT (1330 GMT). NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) Artemis 2 booster left the agency's Michoud Assembly Facility, in New Orleans on July 16 for a journey on NASA's Pegasus barge to KSC, near Orlando. The core stage has reached the Floridian shore as of Monday (July 21), but has not yet gone on to KSC grounds, according to social media posts. Artemis 2 is the first human lunar mission since Apollo 17 in 1972 and plans to send four astronauts around the moon no earlier than September 2025. NASA live has begun with Artemis 2 core stage! NASA has begun its livestream from the Kennedy Space Center area to broadcast the arrival of the Artemis 2 core stage at the facility. Watch live on X here. NASA livestream concludes NASA just finished its livestream from the Kennedy Space Center area regarding the arrival of the Artemis 2 core stage at the facility. Watch for more coverage. NASA's Artemis 2 rocket core stage arrives near launch pad in Florida An astronaut crew's rocket made its last major journey on Earth before blasting off for the moon. The core stage of Artemis 2's rocket came to NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida on Tuesday (July 23). The rocket stage was offloaded from NASA's Pegasus barge, which shipped the rocket stage 900 miles (1,450 km) by water from NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, in a seven-hour operation aided by remote controlled vehicles known as self-propelled modular transporters. The 212-foot (65-meter) stage then made the half-mile (0.8 km) journey to NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building where it will eventually be joined to the rest of the Space Launch System rocket for a launch no earlier than September 2025. Read more: Watch NASA's massive Artemis 2 rocket core stage arrive in Florida. Next stop: the moon (video, photos) Why opening the door on Artemis 2 moon spacecraft requires practice The four Artemis 2 astronauts recently practiced a key contingency operation as they continue to prepare for their moon mission: opening the side hatch of their Orion spacecraft. If all goes well during Artemis 2's planned September 2025 launch and round-the-moon mission, of course, the astronauts will keep all doors firmly shut. Conducting the first human lunar mission since Apollo 17 in 1972, however, requires a strict focus on safety — just in case. Read more: Artemis 2 astronauts train for emergencies with Orion spacecraft ahead of 2025 moon launch (photos) NASA delays Artemis 2 moon mission to April 2026 NASA is waiting another year to launch its Artemis 2 mission. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson announced the latest delay on Thursday (Dec. 5) during a press conference with Artemis 2 commander Reid Wiseman and agency leadership. The administrator cited issues with the heat shield on the mission's Orion spacecraft. During the Artemis 1 test flight mission in late 2022, more material charred away from the capsule's heat shield than was expected, and NASA is still studying the issue to determine its the agency is pushing ahead with Artemis 2 with the mission's Orion capsule and existing heat shield already installed. NASA made the decision "after an extensive investigation of an Artemis 1 heat shield issue showed the Artemis 2 heat shield can keep the crew safe during the planned mission with changes to Orion's trajectory," the agency wrote in a statement on Dec. 5. T-6 months until the earliest window opens for the launch of Artemis 2 Humanity's first journey to the moon in more than 50 years could launch as soon as February 2026. Artemis 2 will fly NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch as well as Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen on a 10-day mission around the moon and back, marking the first space travelers to do so since the end of the Apollo program in 1972. The crew will launch on NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, currently being stacked in the Kennedy Space Center's (KSC) Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). They will ride aboard the Orion space capsule on a free-return trajectory, circling the moon once before their course throws them out of lunar space and back toward Earth. The mission could launch as early as February 2026, though Artemis 2 crew members have stated that may be pushed to as late as April. Artemis 3 is currently slated for NET (no earlier than) 2027. That mission will fly a crew of four, yet to be named, on the first mission of the Artemis program to land on the lunar surface. Catch up on Artemis 2's progress as the mission has progressed toward liftoff: NASA's Artemis 2 Orion spacecraft fuels up and moves closer to launch Teams at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC), in Florida, moved the newly-fueled Orion crew capsule from the Multi-Payload Processing Facility (MPPF) to the Launch Abort System Facility (LASF), where it will be outfitted with its emergency escape system. The move marks a major milestone in preparing the spacecraft for the first crewed flight. Now that Orion is inside the LASF, engineers will install its 44-foot (13.4-meter) launch abort system, designed to propel the crew capsule away from its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket in the event of an emergency. Read more Artemis 2 moon astronauts suit up and enter their Orion spacecraft together for 1st time With just months left before the historic launch, the Artemis crew is hard at work finishing their training and preparations. As part of that training, the whole crew suited up in their launch and entry suits to enter their Orion spacecraft together for the first time on July 31 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida during what is known as a suited crew test. Orion was powered on with the crew inside, giving them a feeling for what they'll actually experience on launch day. They were plugged into the capsule's life support and communications systems as well as given a variety of simulated ground and flight conditions. These included putting the crew through challenging scenarios such as sudden leaks or life support system malfunctions. The goal was to help "ensure the crew is ready for any scenario," NASA wrote in a statement. Read more NASA's Artemis 2 moon rocket gets 2nd stage even as Trump tries to scrap Space Launch System The giant Space Launch System (SLS) rocket continues to grow inside the NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). Technicians at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), in Florida, stacked the rocket's second stage onto the launch vehicle Thursday (May 1). The Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) is responsible for carrying the Orion spacecraft and crew the rest of the way into orbit around the Earth, and then sending them on their way to the moon. Read more NASA completes SLS core stage stacking for Artemis 2 moon mission The core stage of NASA's next Space Launch System (SLS) rocket recently completed integration with the vehicle's side boosters inside the agency's Vehicle Assembly Building in Florida. "Technicians joined the core stage March 23 with the stacked solid rocket boosters for the mission at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC)," NASA officials wrote in a statement Monday (March 24). SLS's solid rocket boosters are responsible for lofting the 322-foot (98-meter), fully stacked vehicle through the first stage of launch. Each booster stands 177 feet (54 meters) tall, and together they provide more than three quarters of SLS's total thrust at liftoff. Read more Artemis 3 SLS hardware arrives in the VAB As the stacking of the SLS rocket for Artemis 2 nears completion inside the VAB, pieces for the next Artemis mission in the lineup are beginning to appear. The engine mount and boat-tail section for the Artemis 3 SLS were transported from KSC's Space Systems Processing Facility to the VAB in late July, according to a NASA release. Inside the VAB, the two sections were mated and then lifted and secured inside the building's High Bay 2, adjacent to the Artemis 2 SLS in the VAB's High Bay 3. NASA expects the four RS-25 main rocket engines powering the Artemis 3 SLS to arrive from NASA's Stennis Space Center for mounting in early 2026, with the launch vehicle's core stage set to arrive from NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, for SLS integration sometime in the Spring.
Yahoo
06-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lockheed Martin Wants To Bring Mars Rover's Samples To Earth If NASA Can't
Lockheed Martin has announced the details of a proposal to take over NASA's Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission, tasked with retrieving the samples that the Perseverance rover on the red planet has already collected. These samples have great scientific value, including the possibility of the evidence of life. While originally conceived as an in-house job, NASA has since realized that its version of the plan would cost at least $7 billion, a figure sometimes known by its scientific name, "too much." That caused the space agency to solicit proposals for a cheaper solution back in 2024, including from Lockheed. In a press release, the venerable aerospace company has declared that it can get a couple of Mars rocks back to our planet for a "firm-fixed price" of less than $3 billion. It's going to accomplish that smaller cost by making everything, well, smaller. The lander (which sets down on Mars), ascent vehicle (which launches back out to space from the surface), and Earth entry system (which gets through Earth atmosphere on the voyage home) will all be downsized. Beyond the amount itself, the fact that the price is fixed ought to be appealing. NASA, bless its heart, has a habit of rocketing wildly over budget. Former NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in 2024 that the cost of MSR might have swelled as high as $11 billion, a figure sometimes known by its scientific name, "way too much." If Lockheed commits to the $3 billion price tag, that would be a welcome change. Assuming, of course, that it isn't forced to cut corners to do it. Read more: These Are Your Favorite Factory Exhaust Designs To Mars And Back Again Lockheed Martin does have some Martian experience. As it is happy to point out in its proposal, the company participated in every single mission to Mars in NASA's history, including designing and building half of all the spacecraft involved. It also operates all three of NASA's orbital craft around the red planet. Beyond Mars (how many companies can say "beyond Mars"?), Lockheed built all three return sample vehicles that NASA has used in other missions, including to and from an asteroid in the OSIRIS-REx mission. This is only a proposal for now. NASA needs to decide whether or not to choose it, but the space agency is in a weird place right now, with the Trump administration handing in its own proposal: Massive budget cuts across the board. Not impossible to imagine that the MSR mission will just be scrapped altogether, leaving Perseverance's samples to collect red dust with no point. Or will they? China wants to launch to launch a sample return mission of its own in 2028, and per Space News, it wants to invite other countries along for the ride. If NASA's samples are still sitting there, there's no real reason the Chinese, maybe with a little Russian support, couldn't snatch them for themselves. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
USA Today
30-07-2025
- Business
- USA Today
US stock futures little changed ahead of Fed meeting results
U.S. stock futures are little changed ahead of results from the Federal Reserve's policy meeting in the afternoon. Almost no one predicts the Fed will lower rates, but economists predict that the decision for the first time since 1993, will not be unanimous with two Fed governors dissenting. Investors will look for clues in the Fed's policy statement and at Fed Chairman Jerome Powell's post-meeting press conference for when the Fed might be ready to lower rates. The CME FedWatch tool that measures the likelihood that the Fed will change the Federal target rate at upcoming meetings according to market traders shows a 63.4% chance for a September rate cut. October holds a 49.2% chance. Lower rates make borrowing money cheaper, which is seen giving businesses and consumers reason to spend and boost the economy and the stock market. "The question is whether they will convey a greater openness to cutting rates at their September meeting," said Bill Nelson, chief economist at the Bank Policy Institute. "For several reasons, my guess is that they won't. The FOMC statement and Chair Powell's press conference will aim to strike the same neutral tone as in June." At 6:05 a.m. ET, futures tied to the blue-chip Dow slipped -0.02%, while broad S&P 500 futures added 0.05% and tech-heavy Nasdaq futures rose 0.11%. Ongoing trade deal talks U.S. and Chinese officials continue to hold trade talks in Stockholm, Sweden as an agreement to extend a tariff truce that expires on Aug. 12 remains elusive. Chinese trade negotiator Li Chenggang told reporters that both sides agreed on maintaining the truce, but Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that was jumping the gun. Any extension would have to be approved by President Donald Trump, he said. Meanwhile, South Korean officials met with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in Washington to try to prevent an increase in tariffs on Korean exports before an Aug. 1 deadline. Earnings Investors also will be looking at key earnings reports for direction. More so-called Magnificent Seven influential megacap technology stocks are slated to report this week. They include Facebook-parent Meta Platforms and software giant Microsoft after the market closes. Investors will want to see if artificial intelligence spending remains intact. AI spending has fueled the rally in many tech stocks this year. Other companies due to report after the close include Robinhood, Qualcomm, Arm Holdings, Lam Research, Carvana and Allstate. Before the market opens, investors will see results from Hershey's, Altria, Garmin, Kraft Heinz, Humana and Wingstop. Medora Lee is a money, markets, and personal finance reporter at USA TODAY. You can reach her at mjlee@ and subscribe to our free Daily Money newsletter for personal finance tips and business news every Monday through Friday.
Newsweek
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Ex-NASA Chief Sounds Alarm Over Space Agency's Future
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The former head of NASA has said that the space agency is "being savaged," in response to proposed cuts by the Trump administration. Bill Nelson, NASA administrator from 2021 to 2025, said: "If they continue on the path that they're on, it will be a crippled agency." NASA has been working on plans to bring astronauts back to the moon for the first time since 1972 with the Artemis program, and to build the Lunar Gateway space station on the moon for long-term lunar scientific exploration. These plans are now on hold amid a proposed Republican budget that would cut as much as half of NASA's science funding. President Donald Trump's budget request to NASA, which must be debated by Congress before October 1, called for the agency to "terminate unaffordable missions," cut "woke" education programs and implement a "more sustainable, cost-effective approach to lunar exploration." Overall, the budget proposes reducing the agency's annual budget from $24.9 billion to $18.8 billion. Newsweek has contacted NASA for comment via email outside of working hours. The Mary W. Jackson headquarters of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. The Mary W. Jackson headquarters of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. Gene J. Puskar/AP Photo Why It Matters The Trump administration says that the proposed reductions are necessary to rein in excessive spending, eliminate underperforming projects, and reorient NASA toward more cost-efficient private partnerships. The White House has highlighted examples such as the $4 billion-per-launch cost of the Space Launch System, NASA's expendable heavy-lift rocket. Critics say the proposed budget cuts threaten American progress in space and in scientific endeavor more broadly. In parallel, the administration has proposed eliminating climate satellite projects. Previous scientific cuts by the Trump administration include Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. firing vaccine advisers from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and a decrease in grants for scientific research. What To Know Cuts to NASA are creating "chaos" and will likely have "significant impacts to our leadership in space," a Democratic House staffer, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Sunday Times, a U.K. newspaper. NASA's Artemis project was launched during the first Trump administration and has already cost more than $26 billion for the new Space Launch System. Cutting NASA's budget would also heavily impact space science across Europe, as NASA has partnerships with the European Space Agency (ESA), which was collaborating with NASA and Airbus to build part of the new rockets to the moon and a Gateway space station. This collaboration, which has already cost ESA €840 million in Airbus payments and another €650 million in future Airbus contracts, was supposed to result in three European astronauts going on the new lunar mission. The future of this plan is uncertain. Elon Musk's space exploration company SpaceX still works with NASA, including on lunar exploration. However, he left the federal government and has criticized budget cuts amid a rift with Trump. The future of SpaceX's partnership with NASA is now also uncertain. "The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts," Trump wrote on Truth Social in June. What People Are Saying Bill Nelson told reporters at a POLITICO summit: "That's like eating our seed corn. We're not going to have anything to plant next year in the quest of trying to understand what is part of the statutes for NASA, which is to search for life, and therefore to understand who we are, what we are, and where we are." Acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro in a statement in May: "This proposal includes investments to simultaneously pursue exploration of the Moon and Mars while still prioritizing critical science and technology research. I appreciate the President's continued support for NASA's mission and look forward to working closely with the administration and Congress to ensure we continue making progress toward achieving the impossible." The White House in a statement in May: "The Budget phases out the grossly expensive and delayed Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion capsule after three flights. SLS alone costs $4 billion per launch and is 140 percent over budget. The Budget funds a program to replace SLS and Orion flights to the Moon with more cost-effective commercial systems that would support more ambitious subsequent lunar missions." Daniel Neuenschwander, ESA director of human and robotic exploration, quoted in The Sunday Times: "We want to work on reducing the risks of the projects where we are dependent on US decisions. We want to increase the projects which are done in autonomy, where we are the masters of the decisions we take." What Happens Next ESA leaders are looking to work on projects that do not rely on American money or American political decision-makers, turning to work with India and Japan, and possibly even China, instead. Senator Ted Cruz, chair of the Senate Commerce Committee which oversees NASA's budget, has supported Artemis in the past, so it is not certain that NASA's budget will be cut by as much as the Trump administration's proposal by the October 1 deadline.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
What Biden's Cancer Diagnosis Means — A Doctor Breaks It Down With Katie
When I saw my phone blowing up on Sunday afternoon with word that former President Biden had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had spread to his bones, I immediately reached out to my friend Bill Nelson, MD, PhD, DSc, the chair of Stand Up To Cancer's Scientific Advisory Council and an expert on prostate cancer. He's the director of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, where he's also a professor of urology, medicine, pathology, and radiation oncology and molecular radiation sciences. In other words, Bill knows what he's talking about. We agreed there's much we don't know about the situation, but here are his initial insights about the former president's diagnosis and prognosis. Dr. Nelson: I feel for anyone who hears the three terrible words 'you have cancer.' Their world, and all of their plans, are turned upside down as they worry instead about what may be in store for them, wondering how the cancer can be treated, how well treatment might work, and what side effects they might confront. The reports do suggest that he has metastatic prostate cancer, which is a life-threatening condition capable of causing significant bone pain. His doctors may make use of several treatment approaches, particularly lowering the male hormone testosterone and interfering with its propensity to fuel cancer growth and progression, and radiation therapy aimed at sites of disease. Several other treatments can also be used if necessary. Screening for prostate cancer using blood tests for prostate-specific antigen can save lives, allowing prostate cancer to be diagnosed at an early stage when surgery or radiation therapy are most effective. Most recommendations are that PSA screening be considered only after consultation with a physician about risks and benefits, and if elected, start at age 50 years (or earlier for Black men or men with a family history of prostate cancer). When to stop screening can be a vexing question. The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends against routine screening of men after age 70 years, but many men and their doctors continue to pursue PSA screening through the 70s and beyond, taking into consideration other health problems, life expectancy, etc. Finally, even despite a routine screening regimen, particularly aggressive cancers can arise in between planned screening tests. The Gleason score is assigned by a pathologist who diagnoses prostate cancer by examining prostate biopsy specimens under a microscope. The score (named for a pathologist named Donald Gleason, who worked at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center in the 1960s) ranges from 6 to 10 and reflects the pattern of growth seen by the pathologist, with higher scores indicative of more aggressive cancer behavior. The side effects associated with antagonizing the actions of the male hormone testosterone include hot flashes, loss of libido, fatigue, diminished muscle mass and strength, osteoporosis, and increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The major side effects associated with prostate radiation therapy are a result of damage to nerves that run along the prostate and are responsible for erections, and of damage to the rectum. Prostate surgery, when appropriate, also risks damage to nerves needed for erections, along with risks of urinary incontinence. From what has been reported, President Biden's prostate cancer can definitely be treated, with the promise of keeping his prostate cancer under control for many months, or hopefully even longer. Autopsy studies conducted on men dying from other causes suggest that more than half of men harbor cancers in their prostates by the time they get into their 80s. These days, 1 in 8 men receive a diagnosis at some point in their lives, while about 1 in 44 die of the disease. One of my old mentors, the late Donald Coffey, used to argue that the key screening and diagnosis challenge is to find the aggressively behaving disease, which he called the 'tigers,' early enough to allow treatment for cure, while leaving what he called the 'pussycats' alone. This has been slowly improving: Prostate MRI is now more frequently used to ensure that prostate biopsies are aimed at the more aggressive lesions in the prostate so that they aren't missed. The post What Biden's Cancer Diagnosis Means — A Doctor Breaks It Down With Katie appeared first on Katie Couric Media.
