Read more
Anthony Cuthbertson1 April 2026 22:09
Spacecraft toilet finally working: Nasa
Artemis II astronauts working with the Nasa ground control team have successfully restored the Orion spacecraft’s toilet to normal operations, the American space agency said in a statement.
Crew reported a blinking fault light in the spacecraft’s only toilet, the Universal Waste Management System, ahead of orbit adjustment manoeuvres around the Earth.
Nasa earlier said it would take a few hours to troubleshoot and resolve, with no specifics released.
“Mission control teams successfully assessed the data and worked with the crew to troubleshoot and resolve the issue,” Nasa has now said in an update on the issue.
Read more
Vishwam Sankaran2 April 2026 05:50
Key Orion spacecraft manoeuvre test completed
The Artemis II crew has successfully concluded one of the mission’s early objectives to evaluate the manual handling qualities of Orion.
Nasa hopes the data from the test will be valuable for manual close‑range manoeuvring of the spacecraft around another spacecraft.
“Over the course of the approximately 70‑minute activity, the crew guided the spacecraft through a series of controlled approach and retreat manoeuvers using the detached ICPS (interim cryogenic propulsion stage) as a reference target,” Nasa wrote in a blog post.
At the end of the test, Orion executed a burn to safely back away from the ICPS.
The ICPS is now set to perform its own disposal burn to re‑enter Earth’s atmosphere over a remote region of the Pacific Ocean.
Read more
Vishwam Sankaran2 April 2026 05:12
All the historic firsts achieved with the Artemis II mission
As humans head back to the Moon for the first time in over half a century, the historic Artemis II mission also provides a wealth of other firsts.
Nasa astronaut Christina Koch is the first woman to fly to the Moon, while her Canadian crew member Jeremy Hansen is the first non-American to do so.
Another crew member, Victor Glover, has become the first Black astronaut to launch off on a lunar mission.
It is also the maiden crewed voyage for the Orion space capsule and SLS – the Space Launch System.
The journey around the Moon also marks the first time a European-built system powers a crewed lunar mission.
“In contrast to the Apollo missions, which entered lunar orbit at around 100 km (62 miles) altitude, Artemis II will conduct a fly-by at over 6,500 km (4038 miles). This will be another first for humanity – these 4 brave astronauts will travel further than anyone in the history of our species,” said Gail Iles, a former Astronaut Instructor at ESA.
Vishwam Sankaran2 April 2026 06:30
Google releases doodle to celebrate Artemis II launch
Google has released a doodle, marking the historic mission to send astronauts around the moon for the first time in over 50 years.
The doodle has illustrations of the Moon and the Earth representing the two ‘O’s of ‘Google’ and one of a rocket for the ‘l’.
“This critical test flight brings us one step closer to a long-term return to the Moon and future missions to Mars,” the tech giant posted on X.
Vishwam Sankaran2 April 2026 06:10
Mission control and crew continue troubleshooting spacecraft toilet
As the Artemis II crew completed spacecraft configuration activities, they continued to assess the toilet system, which was found to have a blinking fault light.
Mission control teams and the crew are continuing to assess data and are actively working to troubleshoot the issue, Nasa said in a statement.
The crew is slated to take a four-hour nap and will be awakened at 7am EDT (11am GMT) after which they would prepare for an engine burn to adjust the spacecraft’s orbit around Earth.
Astronauts will then resume their sleep period around 9.40am EDT (1.40pm GMT), Nasa said.
Vishwam Sankaran2 April 2026 05:30
Contributions of Artemis II partner countries to Moon mission
Although Nasa is the primary architect of Artemis II, the American space agency is aided by its counterparts from Europe, Canada, and Japan in the historic lunar mission.
At the heart of the mission is the European Space Agency’s (ESA) European Service Module, which has 33 engines that guide, steer and propel the crew safely towards the Moon and back.
A single main engine delivers the large changes in speed, supported by eight auxiliary engines as backup and for course corrections, as well as 24 smaller reaction control system engines, arranged in six pods, which are used to rotate and orient the spacecraft.
The ESA’s module also provides the Orion spacecraft and its crew with life support, power and propulsion, enabling safe human travel beyond Earth orbit.
Canada is also a key partner of the mission, with its direct contribution being astronaut Jeremy Hansen, who is part of the 4-person crew and is slated to become the first non-American to go to the Moon.
The American neighbour and Japan’s Jaxa space agency are expected to contribute robotics and modules for future Nasa lunar missions, especially for a gateway habitation module around the Moon.
Vishwam Sankaran2 April 2026 04:54
Astronauts prepare for test to assess key Orion spacecraft manoeuvre
As the Artemis II Orion spacecraft fine tunes its orbit around Earth, astronauts are preparing for a key test to evaluate its manual handling.
During the proximity operations demonstration, which was set to take place about three hours into the mission, the Artemis II crew will command Orion through a series of moves relative to another spacecraft, the ICPS, or interim cryogenic propulsion stage.
The test will evaluate how Orion flies with astronauts at the controls, as they make very small movements to ensure the spacecraft is responding as expected.
The crew will also evaluate how Orion performs near another spacecraft.
“The demonstration is a flight test objective that helps us reduce risk for future missions that involve rendezvous and docking with other spacecraft,” Nasa Orion manager Brian Anderson explained earlier.
Vishwam Sankaran2 April 2026 04:34
Why astronauts are going around the Moon before Artemis III landing mission
The Artemis II mission to circle around the Moon and return to Earth is designed to ensure Nasa’s new systems are safer, more efficient, and better tested before attempting a landing with the subsequent Artemis III mission.
It is designed to test spacecraft life support systems, validate navigation and communication, and ensure it can safely return to Earth.
The mission will also test astronaut radiation exposure in space, communication delays, and emergency procedures far from Earth.
Astronauts will enter a special orbit around the Moon, making it the furthest trip from Earth in decades. Humans have not gone beyond low orbit since 1972.
While the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 70s have put boots on the Moon, Artemis is much more complex.
In Artemis III, the mission’s Orion spacecraft stays in lunar orbit, while astronauts will transfer to SpaceX’s Starship HLS to land on the Moon.
It will involve multiple launches, refuelling steps, and also test docking in lunar orbit.
The Artemis I, II, and III missions will overall attempt to make a long-term presence on the Moon easier.
Vishwam Sankaran2 April 2026 04:08
Why spaceflight is having a moment, from Artemis to Project Hail Mary
Anthony Cuthbertson2 April 2026 03:40