Topic: orion spacecraft
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Artemis II Success Shifts Focus to Urine Recycling
The Artemis II mission is progressing well, but a new issue has emerged where urine has frozen inside the spacecraft's collection tank, preventing its disposal. Mission teams attempted to thaw the blockage by reorienting the spacecraft for solar heating, but this only partially resolved the probl...
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Astronauts Return to Earth After Historic Moon Mission
NASA's Orion spacecraft, carrying the Artemis II crew, successfully completed its return to Earth on April 11, 2026, ending the first human mission to the Moon in over 50 years with a fiery atmospheric reentry and a Pacific Ocean splashdown. The capsule endured extreme conditions, including a com...
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NASA's Artemis Crew Begins Moon Mission
NASA's Artemis II mission has successfully executed a translunar injection burn, sending a crew beyond low-Earth orbit for the first time since 1972 on a trajectory around the Moon. The mission launched on the Space Launch System rocket and is following a free-return trajectory, using lunar gravi...
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NASA's Moon Rocket Arrives at Final Stop Before Launch
The Orion spacecraft has arrived at Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building for final stacking onto its rocket, targeting a February launch for the Artemis II mission. This mission will carry four astronauts on a historic ten-day lunar voyage, the first crewed trip to the Moon's vicinity...
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NASA, Lockheed Eye New Rockets for Orion Launch
NASA and Lockheed Martin are exploring alternative launch vehicles for the Orion spacecraft, potentially moving away from the Space Launch System after nearly two decades of joint development. Lockheed Martin is shifting towards a service-based model, emphasizing reusability, cost efficiency, and...
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NASA's Plan for High-Definition Video from the Moon
The Artemis II mission's primary live video feed was constrained by dated radio wave technology, resulting in lower-resolution footage that contrasted with modern viewing expectations. The mission successfully demonstrated a new optical laser communications system, which transmitted high-resoluti...
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NASA Crew Ushers in New Era of Human Space Exploration
The Artemis II mission concluded successfully, with the crew returning to Houston and the mission's technical data now being analyzed for future human space exploration. Technically, the mission was a success, with the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft performing well, though engine...
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NASA to redesign Orion capsule despite safe Artemis II reentry
NASA canceled a planned manual piloting demonstration on the Artemis II mission to prioritize investigating a small internal helium leak in the European-built service module's propulsion system. The leak has not affected the spacecraft's performance or maneuverability, with all engine burns nomin...
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Artemis II's 14-Minute Fiery Return: What to Expect
The Artemis II mission's Orion spacecraft is locked on its final trajectory for a fiery atmospheric re-entry and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean this Friday evening. The re-entry is the mission's most critical test, subjecting the crew to extreme forces and temperatures near 5,000°F before a plan...
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Astronauts Break Distance Record on Lunar Surface
The Artemis II mission, the first crewed flight to lunar vicinity in over 50 years, successfully performed a critical maneuver behind the Moon, setting a new record for the farthest distance humans have traveled from Earth. The crew, having undergone three years of intensive training for this his...
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NASA Sets February Launch for Artemis II Moon Mission
NASA's Artemis II mission is scheduled for launch in February 2026, marking the first human journey beyond low-Earth orbit in over fifty years. The mission will carry four astronauts on a ten-day trip around the Moon, serving as a critical step toward returning humans to the lunar surface. Key ha...
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NASA to decide Artemis III moon landing plans soon
NASA is finalizing plans for the Artemis III mission, an Earth-orbit flight to reduce risk, which has delayed the first crewed lunar landing to the Artemis IV mission. A key unresolved decision for Artemis III is whether the mission will operate in low-Earth orbit (LEO) or high-Earth orbit (HEO),...
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Artemis II Pilot Details Orion Flight and Landing Experience
The Artemis II crew, including Orion pilot Victor Glover, detailed their mission experiences, with Glover focusing on the spacecraft's performance and the intense reentry and splashdown phases. Glover described the Orion's landing as a rapid shift from high-intensity forces to relief, involving c...
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Animated “Hello, World” image reveals striking new details
The full Artemis II mission photo archive of over 12,000 images, captured using Nikon D5, Nikon Z9, and iPhone 17s cameras, was released over the weekend, revealing previously unseen treasures alongside blurry misfires. Commander Reid Wiseman's "Hello, world" shot of Earth became an early viral h...
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Fastest Humans in the Galaxy Get New Patch to Prove It
The Artemis II crew (Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen) completed a 10-day lunar flyby in April, traveling 406,771 km from Earth and reaching a speed of 24,664 mph during reentry, making them the fastest humans alive. The Apollo 10 crew still holds the all-time speed ...
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NASA's Artemis II Moon Photos Taken on iPhone 17 Pro Max
NASA has released the first smartphone photos from the Artemis II mission, taken by astronauts using a consumer iPhone 17 Pro Max, which was officially qualified for space use earlier this year. The images, captured with the phone's front-facing camera, provide an informal, personal perspective o...
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Artemis II Moon Mission Progressing Smoothly
The Artemis II crew, having completed a critical engine burn, enjoyed a lighter schedule with family calls and media engagements while remaining in excellent health. Commander Reid Wiseman shared a striking long-exposure photo from the Orion spacecraft, capturing Earth's night side with auroras a...
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NASA's Moon Mission: Military to Follow
The Artemis II mission, the first crewed lunar flight in over 50 years, is a joint effort between NASA and the US military, with key roles for the Space Force, Navy, and Air Force. The Space Force ensures launch safety from Florida, including tracking and the authority to destroy the rocket if it...
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NASA's Artemis II Faces Payless Push to Stay on Track
NASA's essential programs, including the International Space Station and robotic missions, continue operating during the government shutdown, but employees and contractors are working without pay. The Artemis II mission remains on schedule, with the Orion spacecraft successfully stacked onto the ...
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Artemis II Crew to Fly Orion to the Moon
The Artemis II mission will be the first crewed lunar flight in over 50 years, with astronauts traveling in the Orion spacecraft named *Integrity* to reflect the mission's significance. Naming spacecraft is a long-standing NASA tradition that personalizes missions and captures public imagination,...
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