Space Call: NASA Artemis II & International Space Station Expedition 74 Astronauts

Space Call: NASA Artemis II & International Space Station Expedition 74 Astronauts

The Artemis II crew of NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and the Canadian Space Agency's Jeremy Hansen spoke with Expedition 74 astronauts, Chris Williams, Jack Hathaway, and Jessica Meir of NASA, and Sophie Adenot of the European Space Agency on board the International Space Station. 

In the first-of-its-kind ship-to-ship call between astronauts on deep space and low Earth orbit missions, the station crew shared their interests in both spacecraft, while the Artemis II quartet related their experience seeing the Moon up close. Koch performed a pair of station spacewalks with Meir in January of 2020. She remarked, “Every single thing that we learned on ISS is up here."

This video has been edited to synchronize the latency between video and audio and shorten gaps in the communications delay that was experienced during the live call as signals traveled more than 232,000 miles. The 15-minute call began at 2:40 p.m. EDT on April 7, 2026.

For more on NASA’s Artemis program, visit www.nasa.gov/artemis

For more on the International Space Station, visit www.nasa.gov/station

Track NASA’s Artemis II Mission in real time:

https://www.nasa.gov/missions/artemis-ii/arow/

Check the Artemis blog for updates: 

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

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

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NASA Artemis II Flight Day 9 Highlights | Johnson Space Center

NASA Artemis II Flight Day 9 Highlights | Johnson Space Center

NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen in the final phase of their return to Earth, set for today, Friday, April 10, 2026. Splashdown is targeted for 8:07 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (5:07 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time) off the coast of San Diego, where a NASA recovery team will be standing by to welcome the Artemis II crew home.

Watch live return coverage on NASA+, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Netflix, HBO Max, Discovery+, Peacock and Roku starting at 6:30 p.m EDT. Learn how to stream NASA content through a variety of online platforms, including social media: 

https://www.nasa.gov/ways-to-watch/

Final return burn sets Orion for home

The third return burn will occur at 2:53 p.m. EDT, today, refining Orion’s path for atmospheric entry and splashdown. During the maneuver, the spacecraft will make precise adjustments to stay on its targeted course home.

NASA’s Artemis II Mission has been taking Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen on a 10-day journey around the Moon and back aboard their Orion spacecraft. During their mission, the astronauts completed a historic lunar flyby, marking humanity’s return to the vicinity of the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years. Throughout the flight, the crew and teams on the ground have evaluated Orion’s systems in the deep‑space environment, including a series of tests in which astronauts directly operated and interacted with the spacecraft.

Track NASA’s Artemis II Mission in real time:
https://www.nasa.gov/missions/artemis-ii/arow/

Check the Artemis blog for updates: 

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

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

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China's Chang'e-7 Lunar Spacecraft & Lander Arrives at Launch Site in Hainan

China's Chang'e-7 Lunar Spacecraft & Lander Arrives at Launch Site in Hainan

China's Chang'e-7 lunar probe, scheduled to be launched in the second half of 2026, arrived at the launch site in Wenchang, located in south China's Hainan province, Thursday evening, April 9, 2026. The uncrewed mission to the Moon's south pole will include an orbiter, a lander, a mini-hopping probe, and a rover. Like its predecessors, the spacecraft is named after the Chinese Moon goddess Chang'e.

The robotic probe will undergo a series of pre-launch tests and preparations in accordance with the planned schedule. The Chang'e-7 mission aims to achieve several key technological breakthroughs, including high-precision soft landing on the lunar surface, walking with its legs, lunar surface leaping, and exploration of permanently shadowed craters.

The mission will adopt an integrated exploration approach, combining orbiting, landing, roving, and hopping, to survey the environment and resources of the lunar south pole, while also carrying out international cooperation with countries, such as Russia.

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 33 seconds
Release Date: April 10, 2026

#NASA #CNSA #Space #Astronomy #Science #China #中国 #CAS #Moon #Geology #WaterIce #SouthPole #CLEP #Change7 #嫦娥七号 #SpaceRobotics #SpaceTechnology #SpaceExploration #DeepSpace #SolarSystem #STEM #Education #Russia #InternationalCooperation #Hainan #海南 #WenchangSpaceLaunchSite #文昌航天发射场 #HD #Video

Moscow Hosts First Space Forum: China-Russia Space Partnership Takes Center Stage

Moscow Hosts First Space Forum: China-Russia Space Partnership Takes Center Stage

The first Russian Space Forum was held in Moscow on Thursday, April 9, 2026, gathering officials, space industry, and business representatives. Russia's First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov announced plans for the Amur‑LPG medium‑class rocket and its reusable first stage with experimental model launch and landing targeted for 2028. A privately developed Start 1M light reusable launch vehicle is scheduled for its first launch in 2027.

Roscosmos head Dmitry Bakanov said Russia is developing its own Russian Orbital Station, which will begin replacing the International Space Station (ISS) from 2028.

China-Russia aerospace cooperation also drew wide attention. Dmitry Zarubin of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Space Research Institute noted the two sides have exchanged lunar soil samples, conducted independent and joint analyses, and published significant joint research papers.

Additionally, Russia will hold Space Week nationwide to mark the 1961 Yuri Gagarin spaceflight with the forum as a key part of the events.

Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin (1934-1968) was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut that became the first person to journey into outer space aboard the first successful crewed spaceflight. Travelling on Vostok 1, Gagarin completed one orbit of Earth on April 12, 1961, with his flight taking 108 minutes.

Video Credit: SMG
Duration: 1 minute, 21 seconds
Release Date: April 10, 2026

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Earth & Moon Views: New Images Released | NASA Artemis II Mission

Earth & Moon Views: New Images Released | NASA Artemis II Mission

The Artemis II crew captures the Moons curved limb during their trip around the far side of the Moon.

A bright portion of the Moon is visible in this image. If you look closely, you can see linear, pitted features known as “crater chains” radiating from the Orientale basin, an impact crater with a patch of ancient lava at its center, visible in the bottom center of the image. These crater chains formed about 3.8 billion years ago, when rocks spewed from the collision that formed Orientale landed in lines extending away from the crater. These chains are found near other large craters on the Moon, but we do not get to see them on Earth because our planet’s crust has been turned over so many times through plate tectonics and largely erased by rain, wind, and ice.

In the upper left corner of the Moon disk is a line called the terminator, the boundary between lunar day and night. Here, low-angle sunlight skims the surface, casting dramatic shadows that expose the area’s topography—or the shape of its surface. Glushko crater is the bright spot just to the left of the dark mare, or “sea” of ancient lava flows on the near side of the Moon. It is identifiable by the bright rays that shoot across the mare, hundreds of miles away. These rays are made of ejected material after the collision that formed Glushko. Glushko and its rays are brighter than the surrounding area because that younger has experienced less weathering from radiation and impacts.

Oceanus Procellarum, the largest lava-filled region on the Moon, spans the horizon. The Aristarchus crater, the bright spot in the sea of lava, creeps toward the right edge of the Moon.

The Artemis II crew captures the Moons curved limb during their journey around the far side of the Moon.

The Artemis II Mission wrapped up a historic seven-hour lunar flyby on April 6, 2026, marking humanity’s first return to the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972 and capturing images of the lunar far side.

On April 1, 2026, Artemis II’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, sending four astronauts on an approximately 10-day test flight around the Moon and back aboard their Orion spacecraft. Enjoy views of the launch from cameras affixed to the SLS rocket.

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

Learn more about the mission: 

https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/

NASA Artemis II astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen continue preparing for their return to Earth set for Friday, April 10, 2026.

Track NASA’s Artemis II Mission in real time:
https://www.nasa.gov/missions/artemis-ii/arow/

Check the Artemis blog for updates: 

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

Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center
Image Date: April 6, 2026

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Earthrise & Earthset: From Apollo to Artemis | NASA Artemis II Mission

Earthrise & Earthset: From Apollo to Artemis | NASA Artemis II Mission

Apollo then, Artemis now. A set of Earthset images captured by the Artemis II crew during their lunar flyby on April 6, 2026, as well as Earthrise photos taken during the Apollo 11 (1969), 12 (1969), and 17 (1972) missions.

Image 2: This view of Earth rising over the Moon's horizon was taken from the Apollo spacecraft. The lunar terrain pictured is in the area of Smyth's Sea on the nearside. Coordinates of the center of the terrain are 85 degrees east longitude and 3 degrees north latitude. 

Image 3: Earthset captured through the Orion spacecraft window at 6:41 p.m. EDT, April 6, 2026, during the Artemis II crew’s flyby of the Moon. A muted blue Earth with bright white clouds sets behind the cratered lunar surface. The dark portion of Earth is experiencing nighttime.

Image 4: The crescent Earth rises above the lunar horizon in this photograph taken from the Apollo 17 spacecraft in lunar orbit during NASA's final lunar landing mission in the Apollo program. 

Image 5: The lunar surface fills the frame in sharp detail, as seen during the Artemis II lunar flyby, while a distant Earth sets in the background. This image was captured at 6:41 p.m. EDT, on April 6, 2026, just three minutes before the Orion spacecraft and its crew went behind.

Image 6: A partially illuminated Earth rises above the lunar horizon in this photograph taken from the Apollo 12 spacecraft in lunar orbit.

Image 7: As the Artemis II crew came close to passing behind the Moon and experiencing a planned loss of signal, they captured this image of a crescent Earth setting on the Moon’s limb. The edge of the visible surface of the Moon is called the “lunar limb.” Seen from afar, it almost looks like a circular arc—except when backlit, as in other images captured by the Artemis II crew. 

NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft with NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, commander; Victor Glover, pilot; Christina Koch, mission specialist; and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist onboard launched on the Artemis II mission, April 1, 2026, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

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

Track NASA’s Artemis II Mission in real time:

https://www.nasa.gov/missions/artemis-ii/arow/

Check the Artemis blog for updates: 

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

Video Credit: NASA's Ames Research Center
Duration: 28 seconds
Release Date: April 9, 2026

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NASA Artemis II Moon Rocket Launch: Camera Views | Kennedy Space Center

NASA Artemis II Moon Rocket Launch: Camera Views | Kennedy Space Center

On April 1, 2026, Artemis II’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, sending four astronauts on an approximately 10-day test flight around the Moon and back aboard their Orion spacecraft. Enjoy views of the launch from cameras affixed to the SLS rocket.

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

Learn more about the mission: https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/

NASA Artemis II astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen continue preparing for their return to Earth set for Friday, April 10, 2026.

Track NASA’s Artemis II Mission in real time:
https://www.nasa.gov/missions/artemis-ii/arow/

Check the Artemis blog for updates: 

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

Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center 
Duration: 9 minute
Release Date: April 9, 2026

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

Solar Eclipse Views at The Moon | NASA Artemis II Mission

Solar Eclipse Views at The Moon | NASA Artemis II Mission

The Artemis II Mission wrapped up a historic seven-hour lunar flyby, marking humanity’s first return to the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972 and capturing images of the lunar far side. As the lunar observation period ended, the crew witnessed a nearly hour-long solar eclipse as the spacecraft, the Moon and the Sun aligned. With a view of a mostly darkened Moon, the crew analyzed the solar corona—the Sun’s outermost atmosphere—as it appeared around the Moon’s edge.

During the eclipse, the crew had an opportunity to look for some rarely seen phenomena that are only visible on an unlit portion of the Moon. They reported six light flashes created by meteoroids impacting the lunar surface while traveling many thousands of miles per hour.

NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen continue preparing for their return to Earth set for Friday, April 10, 2026.

NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft with NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, commander; Victor Glover, pilot; Christina Koch, mission specialist; and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist onboard launched on the Artemis II mission, April 1, 2026, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

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

Track NASA’s Artemis II Mission in real time:

https://www.nasa.gov/missions/artemis-ii/arow/

Check the Artemis blog for updates: 

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

Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center

Duration: 18 seconds
Capture Date: April 7, 2026

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NASA Artemis II Flight Day 8: Brief Overview | Johnson Space Center

NASA Artemis II Flight Day 8: Brief Overview | Johnson Space Center

NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen continue preparing for their return to Earth set for Friday, April 10, 2026, including reviewing re-entry and splashdown procedures and conducting a return trajectory correction burn.

NASA’s Artemis II Mission has been taking Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen on a 10-day journey around the Moon and back aboard their Orion spacecraft.

Track NASA’s Artemis II Mission in real time:
https://www.nasa.gov/missions/artemis-ii/arow/

Check the Artemis blog for updates: 

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

Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center 
Duration: 1 minute, 19 seconds
Release Date: April 9, 2026

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Solar Eclipse at The Moon: Planets Saturn, Mars & Mercury | NASA Artemis II

Solar Eclipse at The Moon: Planets Saturn, Mars & Mercury | NASA Artemis II

The Moon and light from at least five objects in our solar system appear in this solar eclipse view from NASA's Artemis II Mission: Saturn, Mars, and Mercury, along with reflected sunlight from Earth (Earthshine) and the glow of the Sun's corona and/or zodiacal light scattered by interplanetary dust.

What's that strangely diffused white light? 
Dust orbiting the Sun. At certain times of the year, a band of sun-reflecting dust from the inner Solar System appears prominently just after sunset—or just before sunrise—and is called zodiacal light. Although the origin of this dust is still being researched, a leading hypothesis holds that zodiacal dust originates mostly from faint Jupiter-family comets and that it slowly spirals into the Sun.

NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen continue preparing for their return to Earth set for Friday, April 10, 2026.

NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft with NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, commander; Victor Glover, pilot; Christina Koch, mission specialist; and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist onboard launched on the Artemis II mission, April 1, 2026, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

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

Track NASA’s Artemis II Mission in real time:

https://www.nasa.gov/missions/artemis-ii/arow/

Check the Artemis blog for updates: 

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

Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center
Image Date: April 7, 2026

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A Moon Crater of Remembrance | NASA Artemis II Mission

A Moon Crater of Remembrance | NASA Artemis II Mission

The small, bright spot in the center of the image is the crater that the Artemis II crew have proposed as Carroll, after Commander Reid Wiseman’s late wife. About 3.5 miles across (5.6 km in diameter), the proposed Carroll crater is on the nearside of the lunar surface on the western edge and would be visible from Earth with powerful telescopes.

NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) map image of the proposed "Carroll" crater

NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) image of the proposed "Carroll" crater 3D anaglyph (wear your 'red-blue' 3D glasses) 

The small, bright spot in the center of the first image is the crater that the Artemis II crew have proposed as Carroll, after Commander Reid Wiseman’s late wife. About 3.5 miles across (5.6 km in diameter), the proposed Carroll crater is on the nearside of the lunar surface on the western edge and would be visible from Earth with powerful telescopes. After the Artemis II Mission is complete, the crater name proposal will be submitted to the International Astronomical Union (IAU). 

Carroll is the name propsoed for a lunar impact crater located on the surface of the Moon. It was unofficially named on April 6, 2026, by the crew of the Artemis II mission during their flyby of the Moon, after Commander Reid Wiseman's wife Carroll Anne (Taylor) Wiseman that died in 2020. The crater is near the boundary between the Moon's near and far sides, allowing it to be seen from Earth at times.

NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen continue preparing for their return to Earth set for Friday, April 10, 2026, including reviewing re-entry and splashdown procedures and conducting a return trajectory correction burn.

NASA’s Artemis II Mission has been taking Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen on a 10-day journey around the Moon and back aboard their Orion spacecraft.

Track NASA’s Artemis II Mission in real time:
https://www.nasa.gov/missions/artemis-ii/arow/

Check the Artemis blog for updates: 

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

Image Credits: NASA's Johnson Space Center/NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/Arizona State University
Release Date: April 6, 2026

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Moon & Solar Eclipse Views: New Images Released | NASA Artemis II Mission

Moon & Solar Eclipse Views: New Images Released | NASA Artemis II Mission

During the first shift of the lunar flyby observation period, the Artemis II crew captured more than two-thirds of the Moon, highlighting surface details on the nearside, including the 600-mile-wide impact crater, Orientale basin, along the boundary between the near and far sides. They also captured the Grimaldi crater, a dark, round feature northeast of Orientale, known for its dark mare lava floor and heavily worn rim.

During the lunar flyby observation period, the Artemis II crew captures a detailed image of the Orientale basin, a 600-mile-wide impact crater marked by a dark patch of ancient lava that erupted through the Moon’s crust billions of years ago.

In this view captured by the Artemis II crew on the Orion spacecraft, a wedge of the Moon in nighttime is visible in the foreground, as the Sun is setting on the opposite side. This image captures the beginning of a total solar eclipse that astronauts were able to observe at the end of their lunar observation period during Orion’s closest approach to the Moon on April 6, 2026. Unlike minutes-long eclipses as viewed from Earth, the Artemis II crew witnessed the Sun hide behind the Moon for nearly an hour. Because the astronauts were so near the Moon, it appeared much larger than the Sun; because of this, it took longer for the Sun to make its transit across the Moon and peek out the other side. From Earth, in contrast, the Moon and Sun appear about the same size, so even small changes in their alignment quickly bring the Sun back into view, making totality much shorter.

The bright rays of light, or streamers, that are running outward towards the bottom of the Moon disk are part of the Sun's corona. The corona is the outermost layer of the Sun's atmosphere and is only visible during a total solar eclipse. It is normally hidden by the bright light of the Sun's surface.

In addition, the jagged edge of the Moon visible in this image reveals the topography of backlit mountains on the horizon.

Artemis II astronauts captured these views of the Moon before, during, and after the time the Orion spacecraft flew around the far side of the Moon between April 6-7, 2026.

NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft with NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, commander; Victor Glover, pilot; Christina Koch, mission specialist; and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist onboard launched on the Artemis II mission, April 1, 2026, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

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

Track NASA’s Artemis II Mission in real time:

https://www.nasa.gov/missions/artemis-ii/arow/

Check the Artemis blog for updates: 

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

Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center
Image Dates: April 6-7, 2026

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

NASA Artemis II Flight Day 8 Highlights | Johnson Space Center

NASA Artemis II Flight Day 8 Highlights | Johnson Space Center

NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen continue preparing for their return to Earth set for Friday, April 10, 2026, including reviewing re-entry and splashdown procedures and conducting a return trajectory correction burn.

NASA’s Artemis II Mission has been taking Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen on a 10-day journey around the Moon and back aboard their Orion spacecraft.

Track NASA’s Artemis II Mission in real time:
https://www.nasa.gov/missions/artemis-ii/arow/

Check the Artemis blog for updates: 

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

Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center 
Duration: 23 minutes
Release Date: April 9, 2026

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

Moon & Earth Views: New Images Released | NASA Artemis II Mission

Moon & Earth Views: New Images Released | NASA Artemis II Mission

Seen from behind the Moon during Artemis II, the Moon and Earth align in the same frame, each partially illuminated by the Sun. The Moon’s surface appears in sharp detail in the foreground, while Earth sits much farther away, smaller and softly lit in the background. A faint reflection in the spacecraft window is also visible, subtly overlaying the scene. Though their phases differ, both are shaped by the same sunlight, revealing the geometry of the Sun–Earth–Moon system from deep space.

Seen side by side from deep space, the Moon and Earth share the frame—yet Earth appears as a small, delicate crescent against the blackness beyond. At this stage, Orion is approaching the Moon’s farside, placing the image earlier in the flyby, before closest approach during Artemis II. Though both worlds are visible, the scale and distance between them become immediately clear, offering a powerful perspective of how far the crew has traveled from home. Even in its reduced size, Earth’s soft glow stands out, a reminder of the only world we’ve ever known.

As the Artemis II crew flew over the terminator, the astronauts described this boundary between day and night as "anything but a straight line." Crater rims along the terminator stand out as "islands" in the night. Giant chains of craters emanating from the 3.7-billion-year-old Orientale basin can be seen scouring the surface, stretching almost to the terminator. This tells a geologic story: these crater chains produced by the Orientale impact event mar the surface of the relatively flat Hertzsprung Basin (center of this image), which means that Hertzsprung Basin must be even older than Orientale! 

The Moon seen peeking above the window sill of the Orion spacecraft during the Artemis II lunar flyby on April 6, 2026. The Artemis II crew spent about 7 hours at the Orion windows during the flyby, taking photos and recording observations on the Moon to share with scientists on the ground.

A view from the window of the Orion spacecraft approximately 9 minutes before Earthset during the Artemis II lunar flyby on April 6, 2026.

A shot from early in the Artemis II lunar flyby, taken with a smaller aperture setting, shows a moodier version of the Moon than some of the other flyby images with more typical lighting settings. The four crew members spent about 7 hours photographing and recording observations of the Moon as they flew around the far side on April 6, 2026.

NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman pictured here in the Orion spacecraft during the Artemis II lunar flyby. Wiseman and his fellow crewmates spent approximately seven hours taking turns at the Orion windows capturing science data to share with their team back on Earth. At closest approach, they came within 4,067 miles of the Moon’s surface. 

NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman taking a moment during the seven-hour lunar observation period where the crew reported to the ground team their observations including color nuances, which will help enhance scientific understandings of the Moon.

Artemis II astronauts captured these views of the Moon and planet Earth before and during the time the Orion spacecraft flew around the far side of the Moon on April 6, 2026.

NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft with NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, commander; Victor Glover, pilot; Christina Koch, mission specialist; and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist onboard launched on the Artemis II mission, April 1, 2026, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

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

Track NASA’s Artemis II Mission in real time:

https://www.nasa.gov/missions/artemis-ii/arow/

Check the Artemis blog for updates: 

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

Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center
Image Date: April 6, 2026

Release Date: April 9, 2026

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

Comet C/2025 R3 PANSTARRS: View from California

Comet C/2025 R3 PANSTARRS: View from California

Astrophotographer Dan Bartlett: "So many of the comets I have imaged over the years start out with a green blob of a coma and a short spike-like tail. Over time, and under ideal conditions, a comet will grow loosing their sphericity and the tail grows longer with added details. When I processed this morning's addition of C/2025 R3 PANSTARRS, stacked the comet aligned images, I thought wow, now we have a comet! A nice shrouded envelope has started to form around the green coma and the tail is exhibiting some striking detail."

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.

California is a state in the Western United States that lies on the Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares an international border with the Mexican state of Baja California to the south. 

Image Credit: Dan Bartlett 
Location: June Lake California USA
Dan's website: https://app.astrobin.com/i/7eucvg?r=E
Date: April 7, 2026

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'Rise' Zero Gravity Indicator: "Meet My Maker" | NASA Artemis II Moon Mission

'Rise' Zero Gravity Indicator: "Meet My Maker" | NASA Artemis II Moon Mission

"This was where my journey began at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center!"
"The Thermal Blanket Lab is where technicians make clothes—but for spacecraft." 

"Paula Cain not only put me together, but she made me a cool ‘fit' as well.😎" —Rise

The Moon mascot for the Artemis II Mission is flying along with the crew, carrying 5,647,889 names on their journey around the Moon. People from around the world submitted their names through the Send Your Name with Artemis campaign. These names were downloaded onto an SD card that is safely stored inside Rise, the zero gravity indicator designed by 3rd grader Lucas Ye from California. 

The zero gravity indicator for the Moonbound crew was selected from thousands of submissions from over 50 countries and is named “Rise.” The design was inspired by the iconic Earthrise moment from the Apollo 8 mission.

During the selection process, the crew narrowed a list of 25 finalists to five top designs, including:

“Big Steps of Little Octopus,” Anzhelika Iudakova, Finland

“Corey the Explorer,” Daniela Colina, Peru

“Creation Mythos,” Johanna Beck, McPherson, Kansas

“Lepus the Moon Rabbit,” Oakville Trafalgar School, Canada

“Rise,” Lucas Ye, Mountain View, California

NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft with NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, commander; Victor Glover, pilot; Christina Koch, mission specialist; and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist onboard, was successfully launched on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, for the Artemis II Mission from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

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

Credit: NASA

Duration: 2 minutes

Release Date: April 8, 2026

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