Wednesday, April 22, 2026

Russian Progress MS-32 Cargo Spacecraft Departure | International Space Station

Russian Progress MS-32 Cargo Spacecraft Departure | International Space Station


Expedition 74 commander and Russian cosmonaut Sergey-Kud Sverchkov: "The ISS isn't just about conducting experiments in orbit. It also involves logistics, sometimes quite intensive. A week ago, the American Cygnus XL cargo ship arrived. And last night, we were already carrying out our Progress MS-32. Last week, we loaded it with waste and used equipment, and yesterday it undocked, freeing up the docking port for the next ship. We're expecting Progress MS-34 in another week: launch on April 26th and docking on the 28th."

Expedition 74 Update: The unpiloted Roscosmos Progress 93 cargo spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) at 6:08 p.m. EDT Monday, April 20, 2026, backing away for a deorbit maneuver and a planned destructive re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere to dispose of trash loaded by the crew.

This Russian spacecraft launched in September 2025 on a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, carrying about three tons of food, fuel, and supplies for the space station’s crew. After a two-day journey, it arrived at the orbiting laboratory and automatically docked to the aft port of the station’s Zvezda service module.


Expedition 74 Crew
Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: 
Andrey Fedyaev, Sergei Mikaev
European Space Agency Flight Engineer: Sophie Adenot
NASA Flight Engineers: Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Chris Williams

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.


Video Credit: Roscosmos/S. Sverchkov
Duration: 18 seconds
Date: April 20, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #ISS #ProgressMS32 #Прогресс #CargoSpacecraft #Astronauts #Cosmonauts #CosmonautPhotography #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #JSC #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #SpaceExploration #SolarSystem #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Tuesday, April 21, 2026

Russian Progress MS-32 Cargo Spacecraft Departure | International Space Station

Russian Progress MS-32 Cargo Spacecraft Departure | International Space Station

Russian Progress MS-32 cargo spacecraft departing the International Space Station
Russian Progress MS-32 cargo spacecraft departing the International Space Station
April 20, 2026: International Space Station Configuration. Four spaceships are parked at the space station including the SpaceX Crew-12 Dragon, Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL, the Soyuz MS-28 crew ship, and the Progress 94 resupply ship.

Expedition 74 commander and Russian cosmonaut Sergey-Kud Sverchkov: "The ISS isn't just about conducting experiments in orbit. It also involves logistics, sometimes quite intensive. A week ago, the American Cygnus XL cargo ship arrived. And last night, we were already carrying out our Progress MS-32. Last week, we loaded it with waste and used equipment, and yesterday it undocked, freeing up the docking port for the next ship. We're expecting Progress MS-34 in another week: launch on April 26th and docking on the 28th."

Expedition 74 Update: The unpiloted Roscosmos Progress 93 cargo spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) at 6:08 p.m. EDT Monday, April 20, 2026, backing away for a deorbit maneuver and a planned destructive re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere to dispose of trash loaded by the crew.

This Russian spacecraft launched in September 2025 on a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, carrying about three tons of food, fuel, and supplies for the space station’s crew. After a two-day journey, it arrived at the orbiting laboratory and automatically docked to the aft port of the station’s Zvezda service module.


Expedition 74 Crew
Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: 
Andrey Fedyaev, Sergei Mikaev
European Space Agency Flight Engineer: Sophie Adenot
NASA Flight Engineers: Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Chris Williams

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.


Image Credit: Roscosmos
Date: April 20, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #ISS #ProgressMS32 #Прогресс #CargoSpacecraft #Astronauts #Cosmonauts #CosmonautPhotography #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #JSC #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #SpaceExploration #SolarSystem #STEM #Education

NASA Astronauts Train for Walking on Moon's Surface | Johnson Space Center

NASA Astronauts Train for Walking on Moon's Surface | Johnson Space Center

Four Artemis II astronauts just returned from their journey around the Moon, but preparations to land humans on the surface of the Moon once again have been in progress long before liftoff. Follow NASA astronaut Victor Glover as he arrives at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, to put on his spacesuit and begin an underwater run in the training pool.

This day-in-the-life snapshot depicts a simulated traverse on the lunar surface, including using lunar geology tools, recovering from a fall, and more. Glover, and many other astronauts, participate in these simulations to help crew trainers develop lesson plans that future moonwalkers will use in training. This video was filmed in August 2023.

Learn more about Artemis III: 
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-iii/

Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center 
Duration: 10 minutes, 40 seconds
Release Date: April 21, 2026

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #LunarGeology #Spacewalk #EVA #Spacesuits #ArtemisII #ArtemisIII #Astronauts #VicotrGlover #HumanSpaceflight #NBL #NASAJohnson #JSC #Houston #Texas #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Expedition 74 Crew Photos: March to April 2026 | International Space Station

Expedition 74 Crew Photos: March to April 2026 | International Space Station

Expedition 74 flight engineer and NASA astronaut Jessica Meir: "In addition to science, cargo vehicles also may deliver fresh fruit and vegetables to the International Space Station. This is always a welcome change from our dehydrated and preserved food and is a huge morale boost, bringing smiles all around. Thank you to all those involved in this shipment on the Northrop Grumman Cygnus NG-24!
Expedition 74 crew members inside the Northrop Grumman Cygnus NG-24 cargo spacecraft entrance. Photo courtesy of Expedition 74 flight engineer and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev
Expedition 74 flight engineers (from left) Chris Williams, Jack Hathaway, Sophie Adenot, and Jessica Meir are inside the International Space Station’s cupola, waiting to observe the plasma trail of the Orion spacecraft—with the Artemis II crew aboard—as it reenters Earth’s atmosphere.
Meir shared: "Eyes peeled in the cupola awaiting the safe return of our NASA Artemis friends. Our trajectory on the International Space Station will be passing nearby over the Pacific, so we hope to catch a glimpse!"
Expedition 74 flight engineer and NASA astronaut Jessica Meir configures research hardware inside a portable glovebag for a biotechnology investigation exploring how bacteria affect heart tissue in the microgravity environment. Results from the Multi-use Variable-g Platform (MVP) Cell-09 experiment could lead to advanced methods for preventing or treating heart damage in humans living on and off the Earth.
NASA astronauts (from left) Chris Williams and Jack Hathaway, both Expedition 74 flight engineers, pose for a portrait inside the cupola during a break in their procedures as Northrop Grumman's Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft approached the International Space Station. Williams operated the Canadarm2 robotic arm from inside the cupola to capture Cygnus XL, while Hathaway monitored the spacecraft during its approach and rendezvous. Cygnus XL delivered more than 11,000 pounds of new science experiments, lab hardware, and crew supplies for the Expedition 74 crew.
Expedition 74 flight engineers (from left) Chris Williams of NASA, Sophie Adenot of the European Space Agency (ESA), and Jessica Meir of NASA pose for a portrait aboard the International Space Station. Meir is wearing a portable breathing apparatus to test its readiness for unlikely emergency scenarios such as an oxygen leak, chemical leak, or fire aboard the orbital outpost.
NASA astronaut and Expedition 74 flight engineer Jessica Meir smiles for a portrait while preparing a helmet for installation on a spacesuit inside the International Space Station's Quest airlock.
Expedition 74 flight engineers (from left) Chris Williams of NASA, Sophie Adenot of the European Space Agency, and Jessica Meir of NASA pose for a portrait aboard the International Space Station. Meir is wearing a portable breathing apparatus to test its readiness for unlikely emergency scenarios such as an oxygen leak, chemical leak, or fire aboard the orbital outpost.

Expedition 74 Update: The unpiloted Roscosmos Progress 93 cargo spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station at 6:08 p.m. EDT Monday, April 20, 2026, backing away for a deorbit maneuver and a planned destructive re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere to dispose of trash loaded by the crew.

The Russian spacecraft launched in September 2025 on a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, carrying about three tons of food, fuel, and supplies for the space station’s crew. After a two-day journey, it arrived at the orbiting laboratory and automatically docked to the aft port of the station’s Zvezda service module.


Expedition 74 Crew
Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: 
Andrey Fedyaev, Sergei Mikaev
European Space Agency Flight Engineer: Sophie Adenot
NASA Flight Engineers: Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Chris Williams

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.


Image Credits: NASA/JSC, J. Meir, A. Fedyaev/Roscosmos, S. Adenot/ESA
Dates: March 9-April 21, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #ISS #Astronauts #AstronautPhotography #JessicaMeir #Cosmonauts #CosmonautPhotography #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #JSC #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #SpaceExploration #SolarSystem #STEM #Education

NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope: Ready for Launch

NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope: Ready for Launch

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is scheduled to launch in September 2026, nearly nine months ahead of its required launch readiness date of May 2027.

During its final years of construction, the observatory underwent rigorous environmental tests designed to prove it can withstand the demanding journey from Earth to space.

These environmental tests included blasting the telescope with the intense sound of a rocket launch, vibrating the observatory while enclosed in a protective clean tent, another launch simulation, and placing it inside a thermal vacuum chamber where it was cooled to the extreme operating temperatures of space.

Each of these tests proved Roman's worthiness for early flight and is a testiment to the hard work from the entire team. Partners worldwide contributed to this effort.

The Roman Space Telescope is NASA’s next flagship astrophysics mission. An infrared survey telescope with the same resolution as Hubble but at least 100 times the field of view. 

The Roman telescope and the discoveries it will enable: 
https://www.stsci.edu/roman


Video Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Producer: Sophia Roberts (eMITS)
Videographers: Scott Wiessinger (eMITS), Sophia Roberts (eMITS), Rob Andreoli (eMITS)
Drone Pilot: Francis Reddy (University of Maryland College Park)
Camera Operator: John D. Philyaw (eMITS)
Animator: Adriana Manrique Gutierrez (eMITS)
Duration: 1 minute, 21 seconds
Release Date: April 21, 2026


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #NASARoman #RomanSpaceTelescope #NancyGraceRoman #Exoplanets #Planets #SolarSystem #Stars #MilkyWayGalaxy #Galaxies #Cosmos #Universe #SpaceTelescopes #NASAGoddard #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Science Highlights of Hubble Space Telescope's 36th Anniversary Year (1990-2026)

Science Highlights of Hubble Space Telescope's 36th Anniversary Year (1990-2026)

These are examples of scientific discoveries published throughout Hubble's 36th year of operations. The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA.


Credit: NASA, ESA, STScI, N. Bartmann (ESA/Hubble), M. Zamani (ESA/Hubble), D. Bodewits (Auburn), J. DePasquale (STScI), B. Balick (University of Washington), G. Anand (STScI), and A. Benitez-Llambay (Univ. of Milan-Bicocca), D. O’Ryan, P. Gómez (European Space Agency), R. Crawford (STScI), D. Li (UToronto), W. Blair (JHU)
Duration: 1 minute, 41 seconds
Release Date: April 20, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Hubble36thAnniversary #Nebulae #Stars #Planets #Galaxies #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Image Highlights of Hubble Space Telescope's 36th Anniversary Year (1990-2026)

Image Highlights of Hubble Space Telescope's 36th Anniversary Year (1990-2026)

These are examples of a variety of images that have been featured throughout Hubble's 36th year of operations. Among these were the star-forming region N11 in the Large Magellanic Cloud, the shells of stardust that make up the Egg Nebula, the Cat’s Eye Nebula together with ESA’s Euclid, and a brand-new image of the famous Crab Nebula. Hubble also showcased the smouldering heart of M82, swirling spiral galaxies UGC 11397 and Arp 4, dust rings around galaxy NGC 7722, the glittering stars of globular cluster NGC 1786, and the immense galaxy cluster Abell 209.

The Hubble Space Telescope has taken over 1.7 million observations to date. Almost 29,000 astronomers have published peer-reviewed science papers using Hubble data collected over the telescope’s 36-year lifetime, resulting in more than 23,000 publications, with almost 1100 in 2025 alone. Since 2022, researchers have regularly combined Hubble’s observations with those from the James Webb Space Telescope to push opportunities for discovery further.

The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA.


Video Credits: ESA/Hubble, NASA, STScI, N. Bartmann (ESA/Hubble), N. Bartmann (ESA/Hubble), R. Indebetouw, M. Monelli, J. Dalcanton, Dark Energy Survey/DOE/FNAL/DECam/CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA, C. Murray, J. Maíz Apellániz, R. J. Foley (UC Santa Cruz), C. Kilpatrick, G. Duchêne, ESA Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA/Q1-2025, J.-C. Cuillandre & E. Bertin (CEA Paris-Saclay), Z. Tsvetanov, M. J. Koss, A. J. Barth, M. Postman, P. Kelly.
Duration: 1 minute, 39 second
Release Date: April 20, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Science #Space #Hubble #Hubble36thAnniversary #Nebulae #Stars #Planets #Galaxies #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Five Things You Didn't Know About NASA Astronaut Christina Koch Pre-Artemis II

Five Things You Didn't Know About NASA Astronaut Christina Koch Pre-Artemis II


Engineering and physics degrees? Check. 
Previous work for NASA? Another check. Experience working at the South Pole and America Samoa? Of course. However, the “usual credentials” do not fully reflect the background of astronaut Christina Koch. Check out her favorite extreme adventures, her dabbling with lightning, and a foreign trip that changed her perspectives on life before her historic journey to the Moon on the Artemis II Mission this year.

NASA astronaut candidate Christina Koch (maiden name Hammock) in 2013: "I really strongly believe in both the practical aspects of the research being conducted as well as the larger picture of the human spaceflight program bringing us forward as a human race and uniting us in exploring the universe." 

In 2012, Christina joined the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), first as a field engineer at the Global Monitoring Division Baseline Observatory in Barrow, Alaska (now Utqiaġvik), and then as station chief of the American Samoa Observatory. 

Christina Hammock Koch [pronounced “Cook”] was later selected as a NASA astronaut candidate in 2013. Prior to her historic Artemis II Moon Mission, she served as flight engineer on the International Space Station (ISS) for Expeditions 59, 60 and 61. Koch set a record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman with a total of 328 days in space and participated in the first all-female spacewalk.

Christina Koch Biographies:
https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/christina-h-koch
https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/christina-hammock-koch/biography

Artemis II mission specialist and NASA astronaut Christina Koch joined NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen on a nearly 10-day lunar flyby mission, surpassing the Apollo 13 record for farthest crewed spaceflight and observing the lunar surface like never before, capturing iconic views.

Learn more about NASA's Artemis II Mission:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/


Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center
Duration: 2 minutes, 18 seconds
Release Date: March 13, 2019

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisII #Astronauts #ChristinaKoch #ElectricalEngineers #WomenInSTEM #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #NASAJohnson #NOAA #UnitedStates #CSA #Canada #Europe #InternationalCooperation #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Wide-field view: Elliptical Galaxy Messier 105 in Leo | Hubble Space Telescope

Wide-field view: Elliptical Galaxy Messier 105 in Leo | Hubble Space Telescope

M105 is an elliptical galaxy 32 million light-years away in the constellation Leo. It is the largest elliptical in the Messier catalog that is not a member of the Virgo cluster of galaxies. M105 does, however, belong to the M96 (or Leo I) Group. This includes neighbors M95 and M96 as well as several other fainter galaxies. M105 is the brightest elliptical galaxy within the Leo I galaxy group. 

It might appear featureless and unexciting at first glance, but NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope observations of this elliptical galaxy—known as Messier 105—show that the stars near the galaxy’s center are moving very rapidly. Astronomers have concluded that these stars are zooming around a supermassive black hole with an estimated mass of 200 million Suns. This black hole releases huge amounts of energy as it consumes matter falling into it and causing the center to shine far brighter than its surroundings. This system is known as an active galactic nucleus.

Like most elliptical galaxies it appears rather featureless and inactive. However, Hubble observations surprised astronomers by revealing young stars and star clusters in M105, indicating that star formation is still taking place in what was thought to be a “dead” galaxy no longer capable of giving birth to new stars. Other Hubble observations measured the speeds of stars moving around the center of the galaxy. This demonstrated that a supermassive black hole resides at M105’s core.

Hubble also surprised astronomers by revealing a few young stars and clusters in Messer 105. Messier 105 is now thought to form roughly one Sun-like star every 10,000 years. Star-forming activity has also been spotted in a vast ring of hydrogen gas encircling both Messier 105 and its closest neighbor, the lenticular galaxy NGC 3384.

Charles Messier’s colleague Pierre Méchain discovered M105 in 1781 just a few days after locating M95 and M96. Yet M105 was not originally included in Messier’s catalog. It was added in 1947 after astronomer Helen S. Hogg found a letter written by Méchain describing the galaxy.

Best observed in the month of April, M105 has an apparent magnitude of 10.2 and can be spotted with a small telescope. Large telescopes will uncover two fainter galaxies (NGC 3384 and NGC 3389) close to the bright elliptical.


Image Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, C. Sarazin et al.
Release Date: Jan. 7, 2019

#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Galaxies #Messier105 #M105 #EllipticalGalaxies #AGNs #BlackHoles #LeoConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Close-up: Elliptical Galaxy Messier 105 in Leo | Hubble Space Telescope

Close-up: Elliptical Galaxy Messier 105 in Leo | Hubble Space Telescope

M105 is an elliptical galaxy 32 million light-years away in the constellation Leo. It is the largest elliptical in the Messier catalog that is not a member of the Virgo cluster of galaxies. M105 does, however, belong to the M96 (or Leo I) Group. This includes neighbors M95 and M96 as well as several other fainter galaxies. M105 is the brightest elliptical galaxy within the Leo I galaxy group. 

It might appear featureless and unexciting at first glance, but NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope observations of this elliptical galaxy—known as Messier 105—show that the stars near the galaxy’s center are moving very rapidly. Astronomers have concluded that these stars are zooming around a supermassive black hole with an estimated mass of 200 million Suns. This black hole releases huge amounts of energy as it consumes matter falling into it and causing the center to shine far brighter than its surroundings. This system is known as an active galactic nucleus.

This Hubble image of M105 was taken in near-infrared and visible light. Like most elliptical galaxies it appears rather featureless and inactive. However, Hubble observations surprised astronomers by revealing young stars and star clusters in M105, indicating that star formation is still taking place in what was thought to be a “dead” galaxy no longer capable of giving birth to new stars. Other Hubble observations measured the speeds of stars moving around the center of the galaxy. This demonstrated that a supermassive black hole resides at M105’s core.

Hubble also surprised astronomers by revealing a few young stars and clusters in Messer 105. Messier 105 is now thought to form roughly one Sun-like star every 10,000 years. Star-forming activity has also been spotted in a vast ring of hydrogen gas encircling both Messier 105 and its closest neighbor, the lenticular galaxy NGC 3384.

Charles Messier’s colleague Pierre Méchain discovered M105 in 1781 just a few days after locating M95 and M96. Yet M105 was not originally included in Messier’s catalog. It was added in 1947 after astronomer Helen S. Hogg found a letter written by Méchain describing the galaxy.

Best observed in the month of April, M105 has an apparent magnitude of 10.2 and can be spotted with a small telescope. Large telescopes will uncover two fainter galaxies (NGC 3384 and NGC 3389) close to the bright elliptical.


Credit: NASA, ESA, STScI, and C. Sarazin (University of Virginia)
Release Date: Oct. 5, 2017


#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Galaxies #Messier105 #M105 #EllipticalGalaxies #AGNs #BlackHoles #LeoConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Monday, April 20, 2026

SpaceX Falcon 9 Makes 600th First Stage Landing

SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Makes 600th First Stage Landing

SpaceX: "That’s 496 landings on our droneships and 104 on our landing zones."

"First Orbital Class Rocket Capable of Reflight"
Falcon 9 is a partially "reusable, two-stage rocket designed and manufactured by SpaceX for the reliable and safe transport of people and payloads into Earth orbit and beyond. Reusability allows SpaceX to refly the most expensive parts of the rocket, which in turn drives down the cost of space access." Falcon 9's first stage incorporates nine Merlin engines.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 second stage does not typically land or get recovered. Unlike the first-stage booster that lands vertically for reuse, the second stage is designed to be expended after delivering the payload. It either burns up upon atmospheric re-entry or completes a controlled re-entry over the ocean to minimize space debris.

Learn more about SpaceX's Falcon 9 launch vehicle:
https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/falcon-9


Credit: Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX)
Duration: 23 seconds
Release Date: April 19, 2026

#NASA #Space #Satellites #Earth #Orbit #LEO #SpaceX #Falcon9 #Falcon9Rockets #ReusableRockets #FirstRocketStageLandings #Starlink #StarlinkSatellites #CommunicationSatellites #ElonMusk #GwynneShotwell #Spaceflight #SpaceTechnology #Aerospace #Engineering #CommercialSpace #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA Artemis II Moon Crew Recovery Operations: New Photos

NASA Artemis II Moon Crew Recovery Operations: New Photos

Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman, from NASA, is extracted from NASA’s Orion spacecraft and loaded onto an inflatable raft, called the front porch, following splashdown in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego, California.
Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman, from NASA, is extracted from NASA’s Orion spacecraft and loaded onto an inflatable raft, called the front porch, following splashdown
Artemis II Mission Specialist Christina Koch, from NASA, is extracted from NASA’s Orion spacecraft and loaded onto an inflatable raft, called the front porch
Artemis II Mission Specialist Christina Koch, from NASA, is extracted from NASA’s Orion spacecraft and loaded onto an inflatable raft
Artemis II Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), is extracted from NASA’s Orion spacecraft and loaded onto an inflatable raft
Artemis II Pilot Victor Glover, from NASA, is extracted from NASA’s Orion spacecraft and loaded onto an inflatable raft
From left to right, Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman, Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA, are extracted from NASA’s Orion spacecraft and loaded onto an inflatable raft
From left to right, Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman, Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA, are extracted from NASA’s Orion spacecraft and loaded onto an inflatable raft

The first crewed test flight of NASA’s Artemis program lifted off from Launch Pad 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 1, 2026, carrying the first astronauts to travel to the Moon in more than half a century. 

During their nearly 10-day mission, the crew completed a record-setting lunar flyby, taking them 252,756 miles at their farthest distance from Earth and 4,067 miles above the lunar surface at their closest approach. 

Artemis II splashed down at 8:07 p.m. April 10 in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego. Following splashdown and recovery, the four crew members underwent post-mission medical evaluations before returning to shore and boarding an aircraft bound for Houston. Upon arrival, the crew was welcomed by and reunited with their families, friends, and agency workforce. The crew now will begin their postflight reconditioning, medical and human performance evaluations, and lunar science debriefs.

Under Artemis, NASA will send astronauts on increasingly difficult missions to explore more of the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build on our foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.

Learn more about NASA's Artemis II Mission:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/


Credit: NASA/Kevin Davis
Date: April 10, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisII #OrionSpacecraft #ParachuteLanding #Astronauts #ReidWiseman #VictorGlover #ChristinaKoch #JeremyHansen #CSA #Canada #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #PacificOcean #California #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

NASA Rolls Out Artemis III Rocket Core Stage | Michoud Assembly Facility

NASA Rolls Out Artemis III Rocket Core Stage | Michoud Assembly Facility

NASA moved the core stage, or the largest section, of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket that will launch the crewed Artemis III mission in 2027 from the agency’s Michoud Assembly Facility to the agency’s Pegasus barge in New Orleans, Louisiana, on April 20, 2026. The barge will ferry the top four-fifths—the section containing the liquid hydrogen tank, liquid oxygen tank, intertank, and forward skirt—of the SLS core stage to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to complete outfitting and vertical integration.

Teams with NASA and Boeing, the SLS core stage lead contractor, used specialized transporters to guide the top four-fifths from the NASA rocket factory to Pegasus. Prior to the move, technicians added an engine section transportation simulator to the rocket stage for shipment to the Space Coast.

Next year’s Artemis III mission will launch astronauts to Earth orbit aboard the Orion spacecraft on top of SLS to test rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and commercial spacecraft needed to land Artemis IV astronauts on the Moon in 2028. NASA’s SLS is the only rocket capable of sending Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon in a single launch. 

NASA will announce specifics on the Artemis III mission design and crew closer to the 2027 launch. It is anticipated that NASA's Artemis III mission in low Earth orbit will test integrated operations between the Orion spacecraft and one or both commercial landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin, respectively.

Learn more: https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-iii/


Video Credits: NASA//Evan Deroche/Michael DeMocker/Sam Lott/Brandon Hancock
Duration: 1 minute, 32 seconds
Date: April 20, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIII #MoonLanders #OrionSpacecraft #SLS #CoreStage #Astronauts #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #NASAMichoud #MAF #NewOrleans #Louisiana #NASAKennedy #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA Rolls Out Artemis III Rocket Core Stage | Michoud Assembly Facility

NASA Rolls Out Artemis III Rocket Core Stage | Michoud Assembly Facility








NASA moved the core stage, or the largest section, of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket that will launch the crewed Artemis III mission in 2027 from the agency’s Michoud Assembly Facility to the agency’s Pegasus barge in New Orleans, Louisiana, on April 20, 2026. The barge will ferry the top four-fifths—the section containing the liquid hydrogen tank, liquid oxygen tank, intertank, and forward skirt—of the SLS core stage to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to complete outfitting and vertical integration.

Teams with NASA and Boeing, the SLS core stage lead contractor, used specialized transporters to guide the top four-fifths from the NASA rocket factory to Pegasus. Prior to the move, technicians added an engine section transportation simulator to the rocket stage for shipment to the Space Coast.

Next year’s Artemis III mission will launch astronauts to Earth orbit aboard the Orion spacecraft on top of SLS to test rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and commercial spacecraft needed to land Artemis IV astronauts on the Moon in 2028. NASA’s SLS is the only rocket capable of sending Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon in a single launch. 

NASA will announce specifics on the Artemis III mission design and crew closer to the 2027 launch. It is anticipated that NASA's Artemis III mission in low Earth orbit will test integrated operations between the Orion spacecraft and one or both commercial landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin, respectively.

Learn more: https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-iii/


Image Credits: NASA/Evan Deroche/Michael DeMocker/Sam Lott/Brandon Hancock
Date: April 20, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIII #MoonLanders #OrionSpacecraft #SLS #CoreStage #Astronauts #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #NASAMichoud #MAF #NewOrleans #Louisiana #NASAKennedy #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Slideshow: NASA Astronaut Candidate Christina Hammock Koch Back in 2013

Slideshow: NASA Astronaut Candidate Christina Hammock Koch Back in 2013

NASA astronaut candidate Christina Koch (maiden name Hammock) in 2013: "I really strongly believe in both the practical aspects of the research being conducted as well as the larger picture of the human spaceflight program bringing us forward as a human race and uniting us in exploring the universe." 

In 2012, Christina joined the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), first as a field engineer at the Global Monitoring Division Baseline Observatory in Barrow, Alaska (now Utqiaġvik), and then as station chief of the American Samoa Observatory. 

Christina Hammock Koch [pronounced “Cook”] was later selected as a NASA astronaut candidate in 2013. Prior to her historic Artemis II Moon Mission, she served as flight engineer on the International Space Station (ISS) for Expeditions 59, 60 and 61. Koch set a record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman with a total of 328 days in space and participated in the first all-female spacewalk.

Christina Koch Biographies:
https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/christina-h-koch
https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/christina-hammock-koch/biography

Artemis II mission specialist and NASA astronaut Christina Koch joined NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen on a nearly 10-day lunar flyby mission, surpassing the Apollo 13 record for farthest crewed spaceflight and observing the lunar surface like never before, capturing iconic views.

Under Artemis, NASA will send astronauts on increasingly difficult missions to explore more of the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build on our foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.

Learn more about NASA's Artemis II Mission:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/


Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center
Duration: 48 seconds
Release Date: June 19, 2013

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisII #Astronauts #ChristinaKoch #ElectricalEngineers #WomenInSTEM #Leadership #AstronautCandidates #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #NASAJohnson #NOAA #UnitedStates #CSA #Canada #Europe #Humanity #InternationalCooperation #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Commander Reid Wiseman Crew Update | NASA Artemis II Moon Mission

Commander Reid Wiseman Crew Update | NASA Artemis II Moon Mission

NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on April 10, 2026, concluding the Artemis II mission. Our Artemis II crew accomplished many milestones on their nearly 10-day mission, surpassing the Apollo 13 record for farthest crewed spaceflight and capturing unprecedented views of the far side of the Moon.

Under Artemis, NASA will send astronauts on increasingly difficult missions to explore more of the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build on our foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.

Learn more about NASA's Artemis II Mission:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/

Get ready for NASA's Artemis III Mission:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-iii/


Video Credit: NASA/JSC, R. Wiseman
Duration: 3 minutes
Release Date: April 20, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisII #OrionSpacecraft #SLS #Astronauts #ReidWiseman #ChristinaKoch #VictorGlover #JeremyHansen #CSA #Canada #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #NASAJohnson #JSC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video