Orion

Seconds before the Artemis II spacecraft lands. Screenshot: NASA

Live broadcast: Artemis II landed safely

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Orion's first crewed deep-space test flight tested launch, flight, return and recovery systems — paving the way for the next phase of the lunar return program
On April 7, 2026, the Artemis II crew was captured in a rare moment of shared embrace inside the Orion spacecraft on the way back from the Moon. Pictured are Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen, Reed Wiseman, and Victor Glover. The crew members were selected in April 2023 and trained together for three years in preparation for the mission. Photo: NASA

Artemis II Day 9: Orion orbit correction complete, preparing for atmospheric reentry and landing near San Diego

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In the past 24 hours, NASA completed another correction maneuver on the way back from the moon, restored contact after a brief communications glitch, and accelerated final preparations for atmospheric entry. Now all eyes are on the heat shield.
Earth setting after Artemis II completes its passage behind the Moon. NASA photo

Artemis II Day 7: Artemis II released the first images from its lunar orbit and continues safely on its return journey

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Artemis II crew members celebrate the completion of the passage behind the moon, April 7, 2026. Photo: NASA

Artemis II on the way back: Completed transit around the moon, human distance record broken, and viewing a solar eclipse

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Update 7/4 14:00: Orion passed behind the moon, came within 6,546 kilometers of the surface, set a new record of 406,770 kilometers from Earth, and also photographed areas from the far side.
In this fully illuminated photo of the Moon, taken by the Orion spacecraft, the near side of the Moon is visible on the right with the dark lava plains familiar from Earth-based observations. To the left is the Orientale Basin, a giant crater about 966 km wide that crosses both the near and far sides. Credit: NASA.

Day 6, Live: Artemis II Around the Moon; Orion Breaks Human Distance Record and Enters Mission Highlights

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The Artemis II crew surpassed the record of Apollo 13, making a historic pass around the moon and entering a window of scientific observations, communications blackout and a solar eclipse as seen from the spacecraft.
The Moon as photographed from the window of the Orion spacecraft at the end of Artemis II's fifth flight day (April 6, 2026), shortly before the historic pass around the far side of the Moon. Credit: NASA.

Live broadcast: The decisive day – Artemis II preparing to pass around the far side of the Moon

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NASA reports that Orion is on a precise trajectory for its passage around the moon on April 6, 2026. During the orbit, astronauts are expected to break the record for the distance humans have traveled from Earth and pass behind the moon.
Astronaut Christina Koch controls the Orion spacecraft during a manual flight test on day four of the Artemis II mission. She is flanked by Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen and astronaut Victor Glover. Credit: NASA

Artemis II Day 4: Crew practices manual flight of Orion and approaches historic flyby around the moon tomorrow

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NASA reported that Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen took manual control of the spacecraft for 41 minutes, while the entire crew completed scientific preparations for the lunar flyby on April 6. At the same time, NASA
A view of Earth taken by NASA astronaut and Artemis II commander Reid Weisman from one of the Orion spacecraft windows after completing the lunar orbit injection maneuver on April 2, 2026. The image shows two auroras, at the top right and bottom left, while the **Zodiac Light** is visible at the bottom right as the Earth obscures the Sun. Credit: NASA

Artemis II Day 3: Orion continues precisely toward the Moon without need for trajectory corrections; the receding Earth is fully imaged

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After the lunar orbit injection, the mission control center determined that the spacecraft was already on the correct path to pass near the moon on April 6, and the team began preparations for the scientific observation window around the moon.
An image of the Artemis II spacecraft orbiting the Moon. The transit is expected on April 6. Photo: NASA

Artemis II left Earth orbit and headed for the Moon

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Artemis II has completed a lunar injection maneuver and left Earth orbit. The Orion spacecraft and its four crew members are making their way to the Moon in a historic NASA mission.
A view of Earth from NASA's Orion spacecraft as it orbits the planet during the Artemis II test flight. The spacecraft launched on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, for a mission of about 10 days around the moon and back to Earth. Credit: NASA

Live broadcast: Artemis II nears lunar landing: orbit change maneuver expected tonight (Thursday-Friday)

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After completing the first orbit maneuvers around Earth and a close flight demonstration, NASA is preparing for the ignition that will send Orion into a free-return orbit around the moon; a brief communication loss was also reported in the first hours of the mission
Artemis II launch. Photo: NASA

Live broadcast: Artemis II launched on first manned flight around the moon since Apollo

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The Artemis II mission is set to be the first manned flight of the Artemis program, with four astronauts in the Orion spacecraft to orbit the Moon and back, as a crucial step toward resuming human presence on the Moon.
The Artemis II SLS launcher with the Orion spacecraft on its way back to the assembly building at the Kennedy Space Center in February 2026, after being returned to fix a helium flow problem. NASA has now approved moving forward again towards a launch attempt in April. Photo: NASA

NASA approves Artemis II for April launch to orbit the moon

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The Artemis II spacecraft aboard the SLS launchers on February 2, 2026. Credit: NASA/John Kraus

NASA changes Artemis program: Artemis 3 will not land astronauts on the Moon

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Instead of a crewed landing in 2027, Artemis 3 will become a test mission in Earth orbit, while the program's first crewed landing is now postponed to Artemis 4 in 2028.
A photo of the SLS rocket with the Orion spacecraft on launch pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center during preparations for refueling. NASA photo, January 29, 2026

Unusually cold weather in Florida postponed Artemis II's wet general reentry to Monday and the launch itself a week later.

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There are only three possible dates left for the February launch window: February 8, 10, and 11. If that is not possible, a postponement to March or April will be required.
Artemis II crew members who will orbit the Moon: NASA's Reed Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen. Photo: NASA

Randy “Comrade” Bresnik of NASA presented at the Ilan Ramon conference: This is how the Artemis program returns humanity to the moon

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At the 21st Ilan Ramon International Space Conference, a NASA astronaut described Artemis II as the first manned step around the moon, and Gateway as the interim station for the era after the International Space Station.
Image caption: NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Artemis II Orion spacecraft are seen illuminated at Launch Complex 39B, January 17, 2026, at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In the coming days, engineers will prepare for the "wet dress rehearsal," a two-day test that simulates launch day. Credit: NASA/Keegan Barber

Artemis II placed on launch pad: NASA moves forward with “wet return” test before crewed flight around the moon

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Illustration: An image showing the Orion Nebula in visible and infrared light. Astronomers have discovered that about 14 million years ago, the solar system sailed through the Orion Nebula, a dense region where stars are forming. This journey may have compressed the heliosphere and increased the amount of interstellar dust, which could have affected Earth's climate and left an imprint on the geological record. Credit: NASA, European Space Agency, and F. Summers, G. Bacon, Z. Levay, J. DePasquale, L. Hustak, L. Frattare, M. Robberto, M. Gennaro (STScI), R. Hurt (Caltech/IPAC), M. Kornmesser (ESA); Special thanks: A. Fujii, R. Gendler)

Scientists reveal that the sun's journey through the Orion Nebula could have changed Earth's climate

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About 14 million years ago, in the middle of the Miocene epoch, the solar system passed through the Orion Nebula. At the same time, the Earth cooled and the Antarctic ice sheet formed. Is there a connection between the two phenomena?
Technicians used a 30-ton crane to move the Orion spacecraft from the final assembly and systems testing chamber to the altitude chamber to undergo comprehensive leak testing and performance verification of the subsystems. Credit: NASA

The Orion spacecraft will undergo a test run in the vacuum of space without leaving Earth

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The spacecraft will now undergo a series of suitability tests in an empty chamber. In the tests the spacecraft will be in a near vacuum environment by expelling air and creating a space where the pressure is very low. The result is the absence of an atmosphere, as it were
Figure prepared using artificial intelligence software Dali 3. Crowded on the moon.

Space: The year 2024 will be busy, especially on the moon

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The new year is expected to be full of exciting space missions, from rocket launches and landings to the moon, manned flights around the moon, a new spacecraft to explore Jupiter and a demonstration flight of a new supply spacecraft to the space station
The auxiliary purpose is essential for NASA's Artemis II mission. Credit: ULA

Moon in the crosshairs: Technicians add "target" to Artemis II rocket

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The four astronauts aboard Orion will use a target attached to the space propulsion stage to demonstrate approach operations to test Orion's navigation capabilities. The target underwent illumination tests in May to ensure it could be seen
A "selfie" photo of the Orion capsule on the Artemis 1 mission, taken during a routine inspection of the spacecraft on the third day of the journey - 18/11/2022. Photo: NASA

NASA's Artemis 1 mission to the moon sets the stage for routine space exploration beyond Earth orbit

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An astronomer explains what to expect and why it's important and how technological developments in the last 50 years have made the moon a much more accessible place
The simulation of the Orion spacecraft, with which NASA intends to send astronauts to "deep space" - in the first stage to orbit around the moon, and perhaps in the future even to Mars. Source: NASA.

Open the gate to deep space

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Simulation of the SLS routine. Source: NASA.

NASA wants to launch astronauts already on the first flight of the SLS heavy launch vehicle

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The SLS launcher has an orange stage in the center, similar to the shuttle boosters. Image: NASA

How Till was born

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Moment of explosion from SpaceX's Falcon-9 launcher, 28/6/15. Screenshot from NASA TV

Summary of 2015 in space, part XNUMX: failures and successes

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The nucleus of Comet 67P Churyumov-Grasimenko as imaged by Rosetta's Navigation Camera, December 7, 2014

Summary of 2014 Part I - Man in space: the landing on the comet, the test flight of Orion and the space disasters

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Orion's first test flight - the moment it touches the water as photographed from the ship USS ANCORAGE. Screenshot from NASA TV

NASA: Success for the first test flight of Orion (video of the landing)

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The Orion spacecraft photographs the parachutes above it, about a minute before landing in the Pacific Ocean. From NASA TV

Successful launch, journey and landing of the Orion spacecraft on the first test flight

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An infographic describing the journey of the Orion spacecraft from launch to landing

Orion spacecraft launch - infographic and photo gallery

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In the meantime, fly without astronauts. Orion on the launch pad. Photo: NASA

USA returns to space - first test flight for the "Orion" spacecraft

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Orion so the launch is near 07:00 EST, 14:00 Israel time on December 4, 2014. Screenshot from NASA TV

The experimental launch planned for today of the Orion spacecraft replacing the shuttle was canceled

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The Orion spacecraft on top of the Delta 4 Heavy launcher at launch pad 37 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Base in preparation for launch on December 4, 2014. Photo: NASA/Kim Shiflet

On Thursday it happens - the first experimental and unmanned launch of the Orion spacecraft - the shuttle's replacement

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NASA will test the astronaut rescue system for the first time, in the test launch of Orion and the Heavy Launcher

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One of the proposals for a robotic mission to capture a small asteroid. NASA/JPL image

Preliminary designs of the asteroid diversion mission

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A crane lifts the Orion EFT-1 crew module from its storage facility for transfer to continued assembly at the Test and Operations Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida Credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

Orion - a successful experiment with malfunctioning parachutes; NASA and Lockheed Martin are ramping up testing to get ahead of schedule

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MPCV - Artist's illustration - NASA

NASA announces a key decision to build manned spacecraft that will be used as a means of transportation into deep space

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Space travel: adventure or science?

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A four-legged robot learned to change its movement style to traverse a forest and jump over obstacles

Senior panel that reviewed the manned space program: NASA's budget must be increased or the landing on the moon will be delayed or canceled

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A four-legged robot learned to change its movement style to traverse a forest and jump over obstacles

Apollo 2.0?

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A four-legged robot learned to change its movement style to traverse a forest and jump over obstacles

Will the Orion spacecraft be reduced from six to four astronauts?

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A four-legged robot learned to change its movement style to traverse a forest and jump over obstacles

NASA and the Russian space agency met to discuss further Soyuz launches

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A four-legged robot learned to change its movement style to traverse a forest and jump over obstacles

McCain or Obama - who is good for science? Chapter 5: The Space Program

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A four-legged robot learned to change its movement style to traverse a forest and jump over obstacles

NASA Administrator: Today we could have marked thirty years since the first manned landing on Mars

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A four-legged robot learned to change its movement style to traverse a forest and jump over obstacles

A law that should soon pass through Congress will allow NASA to purchase space in the Soyuz

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A four-legged robot learned to change its movement style to traverse a forest and jump over obstacles

The exploration of the moon - what was and where we stand now

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A four-legged robot learned to change its movement style to traverse a forest and jump over obstacles

NASA wants to continue launching shuttles until 2015

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A four-legged robot learned to change its movement style to traverse a forest and jump over obstacles

NASA has released the dates of all ten of the last space shuttle missions

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A four-legged robot learned to change its movement style to traverse a forest and jump over obstacles

Sex in space - not in NASA spaceships

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A four-legged robot learned to change its movement style to traverse a forest and jump over obstacles

NASA is considering launching a manned mission to an asteroid

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A four-legged robot learned to change its movement style to traverse a forest and jump over obstacles

Fear of a design flaw in the rocket that will replace the shuttle

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