Artemis 3

Ted Cruz during a Senate hearing on February 9, 2023. Photo: Mariam Zuhaib (AP)NASA is set to reveal the names of four astronauts who will fly around the Moon as part of the Artemis 2 mission. But first, we’ll have to endure a speech from Ted Cruz during the Houston-based event.Better Mobility & Cameras: NASA & Axiom's New Spacesuits | TechmodoTexas Congresswomen Sheila Jackson Lee and Lizzie Fletcher will join Cruz at the unveiling, Click2Houston reports. The U.S. politicians will be accompanied by…

NASA’s Moon plans officially kicked off in November 2022, and the party is just getting started. The Orion capsule flew to the Moon and back as part of the Artemis 1 mission, but now the spacecraft is gearing up for its second lunar trip with a crew of astronauts on board.Astronomers Could Soon Get Warnings When SpaceX Satellites Threaten Their ViewOn April 3, NASA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) will reveal the four-person crew that will ride on board Orion for the Artemis 2 mission. The event will take place at…

The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket’s core stage for Artemis 2 at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.Photo: NASANASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) megarocket is being readied in anticipation of the Artemis 2 mission, with engineers putting the rocket together at a facility in New Orleans. All five of the core stage’s major structures have been put together, NASA revealed on Monday. The space agency’s team of engineers at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans connected the engine section to the rocket…

The Malapert massif region near the Moon’s lunar south pole is one of several possible locations where NASA astronauts could land later this decade. A new image from the space agency’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter reveals it to be a bleak, dreary, andbeautiful place for us to visit.NASA’s LRO captured this view of Malapert massif on March 3, when the intrepid probe was roughly 106 miles (170 kilometers) from Shackleton crater, according to Mark Robinson, principle investigator with the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera…

It’s been over 50 years since the final Apollo mission, but NASA’s ambitious Artemis program seeks to return humans to the lunar surface after that long absence. For that to happen, however, the space agency needs an updated Moon suit, the prototype of which will be revealed today.The event starts at 10:30 a.m. ET, and it’s being hosted by Axiom Space—the third party vendor chosen by NASA to build the Moon suits. Axiom signed a $228.5 million contract with NASA in September of last year, in which the Houston-based company…

An illustration of the upcoming Artemis 2 mission.Illustration: NASAWe are soon going to learn the identities of the four astronauts who will strap into the Orion spacecraft and travel farther into space than any crew before.NASA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) will announce the astronauts for the upcoming Artemis 2 mission on April 3, according to a statement released on Friday. The highly anticipated announcement will take place at NASA’s Johnson Space Center’s Ellington Field in Houston at 11 a.m. ET and will air…

NASA engineers inspecting Orion’s heat shield shortly after the Artemis 1 mission. Photo: NASAOrion set several records during the Artemis 1 mission to the Moon, in addition to surviving 5,000-degree Fahrenheit temperatures during atmospheric reentry. The spacecraft’s innovative heat shield made this possible, but NASA’s follow-up analysis of the protective layer has revealed levels of wear and tear that weren’t predicted by models.“Orion exceeded all performance expectations,” Howard Hu, manager of the Orion program,…

The pre-existing liquid hydrogen tank at Kennedy Space Center, which holds roughly 50% less LH2 than the planned storage tank.Photo: NASA/Ben SmegelskyPreparations for the crewed Artemis 2 trip to the Moon are in full swing, with NASA rolling-out various fixes, upgrades, and new technologies to support the mission, which could happen as soon as 2024. Among the more exciting developments are a gigantic new hydrogen fuel tank and an updated escape system that harkens back to the Space Shuttle era.Artemis 2, the sequel to…

The Orion capsule was uncrewed, but filled with several mementos. Image: NASAFollowing its trip to the Moon and back, NASA’s Orion spacecraft splashed down into the Pacific Ocean on Sunday. The inaugural flight for the Artemis program may have been uncrewed, but Orion carried five souvenirs to honor a legacy of lunar exploration. NASA has a longstanding tradition of stashing hidden messages and mementos on board its spacecraft. In 1977, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 launched to interstellar space carrying a 12-inch gold-plated…

An illustration of the human lunar lander on the surface of the Moon.Illustration: Blue OriginBlue Origin is once again making a pitch to build a lunar lander for NASA’s Artemis program. The space company is partnering with Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Astrobotic Technology, Honeybee Robotics, and Draper in hopes of building a second lander, Blue Origin announced on Tuesday.Earlier this year, NASA formally announced its intention to procurea second lunar lander for its Artemis program, so it comes as little surprise to learn…