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https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/

Check for updates on the Artemis blog:

NASA Artemis II Mission page:

Video Credit: NASA

Duration: 1 minute

Date: April 1, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisII #OrionSpacecraft #SLS #CrewedMissions #Astronauts #ReidWiseman #VictorGlover #ChristinaKoch #JeremyHansen #DeepSpace #MoonToMars #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #NASAKennedy #KSC #MerrittIsland #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA Artemis II Moon Crew Walkout on Launch Day | Kennedy Space Center

NASA Artemis II Moon Crew Walkout on Launch Day | Kennedy Space Center

From right to left, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, commander; Christina Koch, mission specialist; Victor Glover, pilot; and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist wave to family and friends

NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, commander; Christina Koch, mission specialist; Victor Glover, pilot; and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist are seen as they depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building to board their Orion spacecraft atop NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket at Launch Complex 39B, Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

NASA’s Artemis II mission will take Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen on a 10-day journey around the Moon and back aboard their Orion spacecraft.

Watch Artemis II coverage on:

https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/

Check for updates on the Artemis blog:

NASA Artemis II Mission page:

Image Credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani

Date: April 1, 2026

Expedition 74 Crew Best Wishes to Artemis II Crew | International Space Station

Expedition 74 Crew Best Wishes to Artemis II Crew | International Space Station

On Wednesday, April 1, 2026, NASA's Artemis II astronauts boarded the Orion crew spacecraft atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket at Launch Complex 39B located at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The astronauts are now strapped into their seats and ready for launch.

The closeout crew is now completing one of the most critical steps before launch: preparing and closing the crew module hatch to the Orion spacecraft. Inside the White Room at Launch Complex 39B, the closeout crew is working meticulously to inspect seals, secure fasteners, and verify that the hatch is airtight.

This process ensures Orion is fully pressurized and ready for flight. Once the hatch is closed and locked, the astronauts are officially sealed inside their spacecraft, marking a major milestone on the path to liftoff.

The Artemis II test flight will take Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency, around the Moon and back to Earth with launch opportunities beginning in April 2026.

The Artemis II Moon crewed test flight is set for launch no earlier than 6:24 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) Wednesday, April 1, 2026 with a two-hour launch window. Additional opportunities for launch run through Monday, April 6.

Teams at NASA's Kennedy Space Center are continuing final preparations for Artemis II with an 80% chance of favorable weather ahead of a launch as early as April 1.

Watch agency launch, lunar flyby, and splashdown coverage on:

Check the NASA Artemis II Mission page for updates:

Artemis blog: https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/

Follow Expedition 74:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

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: NASA/J. Meir

Duration: 12 seconds
Date: April 1, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #ISS #Expedition74 #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisII #OrionSpacecraft #SLS #CrewedMissions #Astronauts #ReidWiseman #VictorGlover #ChristinaKoch #JeremyHansen #DeepSpace #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #NASAKennedy #KSC #MerrittIsland #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA Artemis II Moon Crew Departure | Kennedy Space Center

NASA Artemis II Moon Crew Departure | Kennedy Space Center

The Artemis II astronauts, now suited up for launch, left for the launch pad at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday afternoon, April 1, 2026. NASA’s Artemis II flight crew completed the walk that every NASA astronaut has made since Apollo 7 in 1968, heading to the elevator and down through the double doors below the Neil A. Armstrong Building’s Astronaut Crew Quarters.

NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is atop the mobile launcher at Launch Complex 39B. With NASA teams now maintaining the liquid oxygen levels in the interim cryogenic propulsion, all cryogenic stages of the Space Launch System rocket have transitioned to replenish mode during the Artemis II launch countdown. This includes the core stage and SLS upper stage, ensuring both liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen tanks remain at flight-ready levels.

Replenish mode is essential for maintaining stable propellant quantities and pressure as super-cold fuels naturally boil off over time. Continuous adjustments keep the rocket fully fueled and ready for ignition, supporting the RS-25 engines on the core stage and the RL10 engine on the SLS upper stage for their essential roles in launch and translunar injection.

Teams at NASA's Kennedy Space Center are continuing final preparations for Artemis II with an 80% chance of favorable weather ahead of a launch as early as April 1.

Watch agency launch, lunar flyby, and splashdown coverage on:

Check the NASA Artemis II Mission page for updates:

Artemis blog: https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/

Video Credit: NASA

Duration: 1 minute, 14 seconds
Date: April 1, 2026

NASA Artemis II Moon Crew Suited-up for Launch | Kennedy Space Center

NASA Artemis II Moon Crew Suited-up for Launch | Kennedy Space Center

Teams at NASA's Kennedy Space Center are continuing final preparations for Artemis II with an 80% chance of favorable weather ahead of a launch as early as April 1.

Watch agency launch, lunar flyby, and splashdown coverage on:

Check the NASA Artemis II Mission page for updates:

Artemis blog: https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/

Video Credit: NASA

Duration: 41 seconds
Date: April 1, 2026

China Lijian-2 Commercial Rocket Satellite Launch: 360 Drone Camera View

China Lijian-2 Commercial Rocket Satellite Launch: 360 Drone Camera View

Modular and universal design enables efficient production and launch for Lijian-2 (Kinetica-2) carrier rockets, explained one of its designers as a Lijian-2 Y1 carrier rocket with three satellites onboard blasted off at 19:00 (Beijing Time) from a commercial aerospace innovation pilot zone in northwest China and sent the satellites into the planned orbit on March 30, 2026.

With a low Earth orbit payload capacity of 12 tonnes, the rocket is fully equipped to meet the demands of space station cargo missions. However, for commercial spaceflight, high payload capacity alone is not enough. The Lijian-2 is able to deliver impressive performance thanks to its design innovations.

Developed by Chinese commercial space firm CAS Space, Lijian-2 is China's first to adopt a Common Booster Core (CBC) configuration. The Lijian-2 is a medium-lift, liquid-fuel rocket and the second launch vehicle developed by CAS Space, following the Lijian-1. It is the company's first liquid-propellant rocket, and is tasked with supporting China's large-scale satellite deployment and low-cost cargo transportation for the China Space Station.

A closer look at the Lijian-2 reveals that its core stage and two boosters appear nearly identical. This is no coincidence but a deliberate "universal" design known as the "universal booster core" configuration. This approach allows major components of the rocket to be mass-produced, significantly streamlining the manufacturing process.

"From the very beginning of its design, the Lijian-2 followed a philosophy of large quantity and mass production. That is why the appearance of the rocket’s units is highly similar. The critical feature of this rocket is that the core stage and the boosters are designed to be identical in configuration," said Lian Jie, deputy chief designer of Lijian-2 carrier rocket of CAS Space, a commercial spaceflight company established by the Institute of Mechanics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

According to Lian, the greatest advantages of this design lie in its flexibility and efficiency. If a component encounters an issue, it can be quickly replaced like a standard part—a key feature that supports the development of high-frequency launch capability.

"If a problem occurs during the launch, we can quickly take a booster produced in the same batch to replace the faulty one, so as to ensure a smooth launch as scheduled," he said.

Video Credit: 云上天镜 via DJI Avata 360 drone
Duration: 22 seconds
Release Date: March 31, 2026

#NASA #Space #Satellites #Earth #China #中国 #CASSpace #中科宇航 #CAS #中国科学院 #Lijian2Rockets #Kinetica2Rockets #LaunchVehicles #CargoSpacecraft #CommercialSpace #CommercialSpaceflight #JSLC #JiuquanSatelliteLaunchCenter #酒泉卫星发射中心 #InnerMongolia #SpaceTechnology #Engineering #STEM #Education #DJIAvata360 #UAVVideography #HD #Video

NASA Artemis II Moon Rocket Preflight: Filling the Tanks | Kennedy Space Center

NASA Artemis II Moon Rocket Preflight: Filling the Tanks | Kennedy Space Center

NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop the mobile launcher at Launch Complex 39B, Wednesday, April 1, 2026, as the Artemis II launch teams load more than 700,000 gallons of cryogenic propellants including liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen as the launch countdown progresses at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Update: 12:23 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) - Liquid oxygen fast fill is now complete for the Space Launch System upper stage, marking another major milestone in tanking operations. Teams have confirmed the upper stage is in good shape and are proceeding with the vent and relief test.

Teams at NASA's Kennedy Space Center are continuing final preparations for Artemis II with an 80% chance of favorable weather ahead of a launch as early as April 1.

NASA will provide live coverage of prelaunch, launch, splashdown, and other activities for the upcoming Artemis II crewed flight test around the Moon. NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen will test the Orion spacecraft’s life support systems for the first time with humans aboard, helping lay the groundwork for future crewed Artemis missions.

Watch agency launch, lunar flyby, and splashdown coverage on:

Check the NASA Artemis II Mission page for updates:

Artemis blog: https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/

Image Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
Date: April 1, 2026

NASA Artemis II Moon Rocket Preflight at Sunrise | Kennedy Space Center

NASA Artemis II Moon Rocket Preflight at Sunrise | Kennedy Space Center

NASA’s Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft are seen during sunrise at Launch Complex 39B, Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Update: The fueling process for the Artemis II rocket has picked up speed. The rocket is now more quickly filling with liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. When the core stage is completely full, it will contain 196,000 gallons of liquid oxygen and 537,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen.

Teams at NASA's Kennedy Space Center are continuing final preparations for Artemis II with an 80% chance of favorable weather ahead of a launch as early as April 1.

Watch agency launch, lunar flyby, and splashdown coverage on:

Check the NASA Artemis II Mission page for updates:

Artemis blog: https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/

Wednesday, April 1 Schedule

7:45 a.m.: Coverage of tanking operations to load propellant into the SLS rocket begins, including views of the rocket and audio from a commentator.

12:50 p.m.: NASA+ coverage of launch begins. Coverage continues on YouTube after Orion’s solar array wings deploy in space.

Approximately two-and-a-half hours after launch, NASA will hold a post-launch news conference after the SLS rocket’s upper stage performs a burn to send Orion and its crew to high Earth orbit. The start time is subject to change, based on the exact liftoff time.

Image Credits: United Launch Alliance, NASA
Date: April 1, 2026

NASA Artemis II Moon Rocket Preflight at Sunset | Kennedy Space Center

NASA Artemis II Moon Rocket Preflight at Sunset | Kennedy Space Center

NASA’s Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft are seen at sunset at Launch Complex 39B, Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Artemis II test flight will take Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency, around the Moon and back to Earth with launch opportunities beginning in April 2026.

Teams at NASA's Kennedy Space Center are continuing final preparations for Artemis II with an 80% chance of favorable weather ahead of a launch as early as April 1.

Watch agency launch, lunar flyby, and splashdown coverage on:

Check the NASA Artemis II Mission page for updates:

https://lockheedmartin.com/content/dam/lockheed-martin/space/documents/orion/Artemis%20II%20Phone%20Wallpapers.zip

Artemis blog: https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/

Wednesday, April 1 Schedule

7:45 a.m.: Coverage of tanking operations to load propellant into the SLS rocket begins, including views of the rocket and audio from a commentator.

12:50 p.m.: NASA+ coverage of launch begins. Coverage continues on YouTube after Orion’s solar array wings deploy in space.

Image Credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani/Joel Kowsky
Release Date: March 31, 2026

Free NASA Artemis II Orion Crew Moon Spacecraft Wallpapers | Lockheed Martin

Free NASA Artemis II Orion Crew Moon Spacecraft Wallpapers | Lockheed Martin

NASA’s Orion spacecraft is designed to carry astronauts to the Moon. Launching atop NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, Orion will sustain the crews on Artemis missions to the Moon and return them safely to Earth. Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor building Orion spacecraft.

Celebrate Artemis II with Orion wallpapers!

Ready your phone, tablet, laptop or PC before liftoff.

Free download of full set (6MB ZIP file) here:

Learn more about NASA's Orion Spacecraft:

https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/orion-spacecraft/
https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/products/orion.html

Teams at NASA's Kennedy Space Center are continuing final preparations for Artemis II with an 80% chance of favorable weather ahead of a launch as early as April 1.

Watch agency launch, lunar flyby, and splashdown coverage on:

Check the NASA Artemis II Mission page for updates:

Artemis blog: https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/

Credit: Lockheed Martin Space
Release Date: March 31, 2026

Tuesday, March 31, 2026

24 Humans Traveled to The Moon, 12 Walked on its Surface | NASA History

24 Humans Traveled to The Moon, 12 Walked on its Surface | NASA History

Between 1968 and 1972, these 24 humans traveled to the Moon. Twelve of them walked on its surface.

With the Artemis II flight test mission, NASA looks forward to adding NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen to this photo.

Learn about NASA's Apollo Program:
https://www.nasa.gov/the-apollo-program/

The Artemis II Moon crewed test flight is set for launch no earlier than 6:24 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) Wednesday, April 1, 2026, with a two-hour launch window. Additional opportunities for launch run through Monday, April 6.

Teams at NASA's Kennedy Space Center are continuing final preparations for Artemis II with an 80% chance of favorable weather ahead of a launch as early as April 1.

NASA will provide live coverage of prelaunch, launch, splashdown, and other activities for the upcoming Artemis II flight test around the Moon. The crew will test the Orion spacecraft’s life support systems for the first time with humans aboard, helping lay the groundwork for future crewed Artemis missions.

Watch agency launch, lunar flyby, and splashdown coverage on:

Check the NASA Artemis II Mission page for updates:

Artemis blog: https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/

Image Credit: NASA History Office
Release Date: April 3, 2023

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #ApolloProgram #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisII #OrionSpacecraft #SLS #CrewedMissions #Astronauts #ReidWiseman #VictorGlover #ChristinaKoch #JeremyHansen #DeepSpace #MoonToMars #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #NASAKennedy #KSC #MerrittIsland #Florida #UnitedStates #History #STEM #Education

How to Watch NASA's Artemis II Moon Crewed Test Flight Coverage

How to Watch NASA's Artemis II Moon Crewed Test Flight Coverage

Teams at NASA's Kennedy Space Center are continuing final preparations for Artemis II with an 80% chance of favorable weather ahead of a launch as early as April 1.

Watch agency launch, lunar flyby, and splashdown coverage on:

Check the NASA Artemis II Mission page for updates:

Artemis blog: https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/

Wednesday, April 1 Schedule

7:45 a.m.: Coverage of tanking operations to load propellant into the SLS rocket begins, including views of the rocket and audio from a commentator.

12:50 p.m.: NASA+ coverage of launch begins. Coverage continues on YouTube after Orion’s solar array wings deploy in space.

Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Release Date: March 31, 2026

Comet C/2025 R3 Panstarrs: View from Spain

Comet C/2025 R3 Panstarrs: View from Spain

Astrophotographer Frank Niebling: "Comet Panstarrs shows nice structures: It has now several jets that result in separate gas tails. These were interacting with a turbulence in the solar wind in the morning of 28.03.2026 and curled the gas tail."

Discovered by the Pan-STARRS survey in September 2025, the comet is diving toward its closest approach to the sun (0.50 AU) on April 19, 2026, bringing it well inside the orbit of Venus. If current trends continue, the comet could brighten to magnitude +2, easily seen and photographed in the pre-dawn sky.

The comet's brightness will receive a further boost between April 24-25 when it passes almost directly between Earth and the Sun. The process is called "forward scattering." Sunlight passing through the comet's dusty atmosphere could be amplified 100-fold or more.

We will not be able to see the April 24 surge from Earth. The comet will be too close to the Sun. However, coronagraphs onboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) will have a great view of what could briefly become a truly magnificent object.

Image Credit: Frank Niebling
Location: PixelSkies, Spain
Image Details: 4x3min Tec 140 at f5, Asi 6200mm in L, 4h16-4h35 UT 8x3min Askar 300, Qhy367c, 4h14-4h42 UT Authors: Frank Niebling, Michael Buechner
Frank's website: https://www.sternfreundefranken.de
Release Date: March 28, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Comets #CometC2025R3Panstarrs #SolarSystem #Astrophotography #FrankNiebling #Astrophotographers #Spain #España #Europe #STEM #Education

China Launches Lijian-2 Commercial Rocket: Key to Next-gen Space Cargo System

China Launches Lijian-2 Commercial Rocket: Key to Next-gen Space Cargo System

Modular and universal design enables efficient production and launch for Lijian-2 (Kinetica-2) carrier rockets, said a designer as a Lijian-2 Y1 carrier rocket with three satellites onboard blasted off at 19:00 (Beijing Time) from a commercial aerospace innovation pilot zone in northwest China and sent the satellites into the planned orbit on March 30, 2026, including the New March-02 Satellite, also known as the Qingzhou prototype test spacecraft.

"If a problem occurs during the launch, we can quickly take a booster produced in the same batch to replace the faulty one, so as to ensure a smooth launch as scheduled," he said.

Video Credit: SMG
Duration: 2 minutes
Release Date: March 31, 2026

#NASA #Space #Satellites #Earth #China #中国 #CASSpace #中科宇航 #CAS #中国科学院 #Lijian2Rockets #Kinetica2Rockets #LaunchVehicles #Qingzhou #CargoSpacecraft #CommercialSpace #CommercialSpaceflight #JSLC #JiuquanSatelliteLaunchCenter #酒泉卫星发射中心 #InnerMongolia #SpaceTechnology #Engineering #STEM #Education #HD #Video

China Lijian-2 Commercial Rocket: Modular Design for Mass Production—Designer

China Lijian-2 Commercial Rocket: Modular Design for Mass Production—Designer

"If a problem occurs during the launch, we can quickly take a booster produced in the same batch to replace the faulty one, so as to ensure a smooth launch as scheduled," he said.

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 52 seconds
Release Date: March 31, 2026

Close-up: NASA Artemis II Moon Rocket Preflight | Kennedy Space Center

Close-up: NASA Artemis II Moon Rocket Preflight | Kennedy Space Center

NASA’s Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft are seen atop a mobile launcher at Launch Complex 39B

A closeup view of the crew access arm connected to NASA’s Orion spacecraft with the launch abort system atop NASA’s Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket at Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida

A closeup view of NASA’s Orion spacecraft with the launch abort system atop NASA’s Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket

This photograph shows a closeup view of one of the solid rocket boosters attached to NASA’s Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket at Launch Complex 39B with the Vehicle Assembly Building in the background at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

In this angle looking up, this photograph shows NASA’s Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft, secured to the mobile launcher at Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Teams at NASA's Kennedy Space Center are continuing final preparations for Artemis II with an 80% chance of favorable weather ahead of a launch as early as April 1.

Watch agency launch, lunar flyby, and splashdown coverage on:

Check the NASA Artemis II Mission page for updates: