Feed aggregator
Fermat's Last Theorem: still a must-read about a 350-year maths secret
Fermat's Last Theorem: still a must-read about a 350-year maths secret
ESA School Days 2026: A week of space and science
English
From 13 to 17 April, ESA’s Centre for Earth Observation in Frascati, ESRIN, hosted the 2026 edition of ESA School Days, welcoming students from across Italy for a week dedicated to space and science.
Throughout the week, participants took part in presentations, interactive laboratories and hands-on activities, exploring how ESA studies our planet and the wider Universe. Activities included: sessions dedicated to European launchers, Ariane 6 and Vega C, as well as the future reusable vehicle Space Rider, model rocket launch demonstrations, as well as meteorite and asteroid workshops and guided visits to the Earth Observation Multimedia Centre. This initiative aimed to inspire younger generations by raising awareness of scientific research, environmental protection and climate change, while fostering curiosity, teamwork and interest in STEM disciplines. The event was organised with contributions from ESERO Italia and the Italian Space Agency.
Italiano
Dal 13 al 17 aprile, ESRIN, il Centro dell’Agenzia Spaziale Europea dedicato ai Programmi di Osservazione della Terra a Frascati, ha ospitato l’edizione 2026 degli ESA School Days, accogliendo studenti provenienti da tutta Italia per una settimana dedicata allo spazio e alla scienza.
Durante la settimana, i partecipanti hanno preso parte a presentazioni, laboratori interattivi ed esperienze pratiche, esplorando come l’ESA studia la Terra e indaga l’Universo. Tra le attività: sessioni dedicate ai lanciatori europei, Ariane 6 e Vega C ed al futuro veicolo riutilizzabile Space Rider, dimostrazioni di lancio di razzi-modello, laboratori su meteoriti e asteroidi e visite guidate al Centro Multimediale di Osservazione della Terra. L’iniziativa ha avuto l’obiettivo di ispirare le giovani generazioni, sensibilizzandole su temi come la ricerca scientifica, la tutela dell’ambiente e il cambiamento climatico, promuovendo curiosità, lavoro di squadra e interesse verso le discipline STEM. L’evento è stato realizzato con il contributo di ESERO Italia e dell’Agenzia Spaziale Italiana.
A humanoid robot beat the human half-marathon record at a Beijing race. But what did it actually prove?
A premapped course, a crew of handlers and a world-beating time: here’s what this Beijing half marathon reveals about how far humanoid robots have come—and how far they haven’t
NASA’s ‘Earthrise’ image changed how we see our planet. Can the Artemis moon missions do the same?
Fresh takes on Apollo’s famous “Earthrise” and “Blue Marble” images showed off our planet’s beauty just weeks before Earth Day
Mars Didn't Have Bathtubs, It Had Shelves
Scientists have been debating for decades whether Mars once held a vast ocean covering a large part of its northern face. To prove the idea, they’ve been looking for a “bathtub ring” - a distinct, level shoreline that shows where water once stood. But, despite years of looking, they’ve only been able to find a very distorted potential shoreline whose height deviates by several kilometers - not exactly great evidence of a stable water level. But, according to a new paper in Nature from Abdallah Zaki and Michael Lamb of CalTech, what scientists should have been looking for wasn’t a bathtub ring, but a continental shelf.
Whatever happened to the ozone hole, acid rain and DDT?
The environmental crises of the past often seem to disappear—have problems like acid rain and smog been solved?
This Earth Day, three experts share tips on how to feel hopeful about the environment
This Earth Day three environmental experts share stories about times when environmental action succeeded in saving the planet—and explain why this can be done again
Gibraltar macaques are self-medicating with dirt to help them digest human junk food
Gibraltar’s macaques have been observed engaging in geophagy, the consumption of soil and clay, in an apparent attempt to quell their nausea from eating fatty and salty foods offered by tourists
Turning data from space into action for Earth
Happy Earth Day, 22 April – a global call to act and protect our planet. At the European Space Agency, that action begins in orbit, where satellites deliver a continuous, global view of Earth and track environmental change. Working with partners, ESA turns this stream of data into actionable information through its FutureEO programme, helping governments and communities respond faster and more effectively to climate-driven risks.
Here are two examples of how space technology is being used to anticipate threats to safeguard food security and public health.
Belts of Green in the Washington Suburbs
- Earth
- Earth Observatory
- Image of the Day
- EO Explorer
- Topics
- More Content
- About
Belts of Green in the Washington Suburbs
- Earth
- Earth Observatory
- Image of the Day
- EO Explorer
- Topics
- More Content
- About
Stellar Flares May Expand Habitable Zones Around Small Stars
The search for life beyond Earth has traditionally focused on exoplanets orbiting Sun-like stars, which is a G-type star. However, low-mass stars, which are designated as K-type and M-type stars, have rapidly become a target for astrobiology, primarily due to their much longer lifetimes. This also means the habitable zone (HZ), which is the distance from a star where liquid water could exist, is much smaller than our solar system’s HZ, and is referred to as the liquid water habitable zone (LW-HZ). In contrast, another type of HZ that involves a star’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation potentially enabling life-harboring conditions is known as UV-HZ.
Artemis II Mission Milestones: An Image and Video Recap
On April 1, 2026, Artemis II launched on a nearly 10-day voyage around the Moon, marking the first crewed flight of NASA’s Orion spacecraft. NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, splashed down on April 10 in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego.
At their farthest point, the crew traveled 252,756 miles from Earth, setting a record for the greatest distance humans have traveled in space and observing the lunar surface like never before.
Under Artemis, NASA will send astronauts on increasingly complex missions to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefit, and to prepare for future human missions to Mars.
Relive exciting mission moments through the videos and images shared below.
Pre-Launch Preparation The Artemis II crew and backup crew members NASA astronaut Andre Douglas and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jenni Gibbons trek across the Icelandic landscape during their field geology training.NASA/Robert Markowitz
To prepare for lunar exploration, the Artemis II crew trained in Iceland’s volcanic terrain.
They practiced navigation and field geology skills in challenging conditions while working as a team. The astronauts collected rock samples using tools like hammers, scoops, and chisels, and provided feedback to instructors to refine future Artemis training sites.
Orion Crew Survival System (OCSS) suit long-duration fit check with Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman. NASA/Josh Valcarcel NASA/Josh Valcarcel
The crew trained extensively in NASA’s Orion Crew Survival System (OCSS), the bright orange spacesuit worn inside the Orion spacecraft during launch and re-entry.
Each suit is custom-fitted and includes systems for air, water, food, and waste management. In emergencies, it can sustain life for up to six days.
The crew practiced suit operations in simulated weightlessness and pressurized environments to confirm performance for deep space travel.
During the mission, the crew reflected on what the Moon means to them personally and professionally, sharing thoughts shaped by years of training and preparation.
Launch NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft with NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen launched April 1, 2026, from Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA/Bill Ingalls NASA/Keegan Barber
Launch of NASA’s Artemis II: Moon Rocket Camera Views
Enjoy launch views from cameras affixed to the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket. These cameras, developed by NASA, are called the Flight Imaging Launch Monitoring Real-time System (FILMRS). They survive some of the harshest environments of the avionics on the vehicle.
Mission to the MoonFlight Day Highlights
Flight Day 1This black and white image of Earth was captured by the optical navigation sensor on the exterior of the Orion spacecraft on the first day of the Artemis II mission, as the quartet inside were traveling farther than any humans have ventured in more than 50 years.NASA Flight Day 2A view of Earth taken by an Artemis II astronaut from one of the Orion spacecraft’s four windows after completing the translunar injection burn.NASA Flight Day 3View of a crescent Earth from the Orion spacecraft. NASA Flight Day 4Artemis II Mission Specialist Christina Koch is seen through a window of the Orion spacecraft while on her way to the Moon. This selfie-style photo was taken using a camera on the end of one of Orion’s solar array wings. Koch is holding “Rise”, the zero gravity indicator that launched with the crew after being selected from more than 2,600 original designs that were submitted from countries around the world. A zero gravity indicator is a small plush item that typically rides with a crew to visually indicate when they are in space. “Rise” was inspired by the iconic Earthrise moment from the Apollo 8 mission.NASA Flight Day 5A view of the nearside of the Moon, the side we always see from Earth. Some of the far side is visible, as well, on the left edge, just beyond the black patch that is Orientale basin, a nearly 600-mile-wide crater that straddles the Moon’s near and far sides and is partly visible from Earth. The dark areas in the center and right side of the disk are ancient lava flows, which are unique to the near side of the Moon. The white dot at the bottom of the disk, with white rays shooting out from it, is Tycho crater, one of the younger craters on the Moon at 108 million years old.NASA Flight Day 6Earth sets at 5:41 p.m. CDT, April 6, 2026, over the Moon’s curved limb in this photo captured by the Artemis II crew during their journey around the far side of the Moon. Orientale Basin is perched on the edge of the visible lunar surface. Hertzsprung Basin appears as two subtle concentric rings, which are interrupted by Vavilov, a younger crater superimposed over the older structure. The lines of indentations are secondary crater chains formed by ejecta from the massive impact that created Orientale. The dark portion of Earth is experiencing nighttime. On Earth’s day side, swirling clouds are visible over the Australia and Oceania region.NASA Flight Day 6Echoing the iconic Earthrise photo captured by the Apollo 8 astronauts in 1968, during the lunar flyby, the Artemis II crew captured a shot of Earthset as they passed behind the Moon’s far side.NASA Flight Day 6Seen 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.NASA Flight Day 6The Moon, backlit by the Sun during a solar eclipse, is photographed by NASA’s Orion spacecraft on April 6, 2026, during the Artemis II mission. Orion is visible in the foreground on the left. Earth is reflecting sunlight at the left edge of the Moon, which is slightly brighter than the rest of the disk. The bright spot visible just below the Moon’s bottom right edge is Saturn. Beyond that, the bright spot at the right edge of the image is Mars.NASA Flight Day 6 Solar array wing-mounted cameras capture close-up images of NASA’s Orion spacecraft during a routine external inspection. At the time this photo was taken at 7:27 a.m. CDT, April 7, the crew was in a sleep period ahead of their seventh day into the mission.NASA Flight Day 7A stunning snapshot in time. The Artemis II crew captured this breathtaking photo of our galaxy, the Milky Way. The Milky Way’s elegant spiral structure is dominated by just two arms wrapping off the ends of a central bar of stars. Spanning more than 100,000 light-years, Earth is located along one of the galaxy’s spiral arms, about halfway from the center.NASA Flight Day 7 The Artemis II crew – (clockwise from left) Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, Commander Reid Wiseman, and Pilot Victor Glover – pause for a group photo with their zero gravity indicator “Rise,” inside the Orion spacecraft on their way home.NASA Flight Day 10On April 10, 2026, NASA’s Artemis II crew members are hoisted into a U.S. Navy MH-60 helicopter after successfully splashing down in the Pacific Ocean following their nearly 10-day mission around the Moon.NASA/James Blair Flight Day 10On April 10, 2026, NASA’s Artemis II crew members are hoisted into a U.S. Navy MH-60 helicopter after successfully splashing down in the Pacific Ocean following their nearly 10-day mission around the Moon.NASA/James BlairReturn to Earth
After splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, NASA and U.S. Navy teams recovered the Orion spacecraft and crew.
Recovery teams secured the capsule, opened the hatch, and assisted the astronauts out. The crew was then flown by helicopter to the Navy recovery ship, while Orion was brought aboard for transport back to shore.
More Mission Moments NASA astronaut and Artemis II Mission Specialist Christina Koch peers out of one of the Orion spacecraft’s main cabin windows, looking back at Earth, as the crew travels toward the Moon.NASA
View more imagery on the Artemis II Multimedia Resource Page.
Go/No-Go: NASA’s Space Toilet Explained
The Universal Waste Management System, or space toilet, is a critical onboard system.
During the mission, the crew worked through operational issues to maintain performance in microgravity.
Space-to-Space Call: NASA’s Artemis II Astronauts and the International Space Station
Members of the International Space Station Expedition 74 (left) and Artemis II (right) crews are seen at once on the screens inside the International Space Station flight control room in the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA/Robert Markowitz
A historic first took place during the mission: a direct call between a deep space crew and astronauts aboard the International Space Station.
Artemis II connected with Expedition 74 astronauts Chris Williams, Jack Hathaway, Jessica Meir, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot, marking the first ship-to-ship communication of its kind.
The Artemis II crew uses eclipse viewers, identical to what NASA produced for the 2023 annular eclipse and 2024 total solar eclipse, to protect their eyes at key moments during the solar eclipse they experienced during their lunar flyby. This was the first use of eclipse glasses at the Moon to safely view a solar eclipse.NASA
Artemis II brought the crew to 252,756 miles from Earth at its farthest point and covered a total of 694,481 miles.
The lunar flyby set a new human distance record, surpassing Apollo 13’s 1970 record. The crew observed the Moon from closer range than any humans before them during a crewed mission.
Moon Joy, Courtesy of NASA’s Artemis II Astronauts
The Artemis II crew – (clockwise from left) Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, Commander Reid Wiseman, and Pilot Victor Glover – pause for a group photo with their zero gravity indicator “Rise,” inside the Orion spacecraft on their way home.NASA
With years of training and thousands of experts behind the mission, one unexpected outcome stood out: Moon joy.
It captured the emotional weight of seeing the Moon up close and the significance of returning humans to deep space.
Watch the official NASA broadcast as the Artemis II crew splashes down in the Pacific Ocean.
NASA’s Orion capsule descends under its main parachutes over the Pacific Ocean following a successful Artemis II mission, April 10, 2026.NASA/Josh Valcarcel NASA’s Artemis II crew shared remarks with friends, family, and colleagues after they landed at Ellington Airport on April 11, 2026.NASA/Helen Arase Vargas
The Artemis II astronauts returned to Ellington Airport in Houston following their historic mission around the Moon.
Artemis II Crew News Conference
The crew shared reflections on their journey, the challenges of deep space flight, and what comes next for Artemis.
The Artemis II mission marks a major step forward in human exploration.
The mission demonstrated deep space crew operations, tested Orion systems with astronauts aboard, and set the stage for future lunar missions.
We are just getting started.
The Next Steps in Lunar Exploration 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.NASA
NASA is preparing for future missions to the Moon’s South Pole.
Work continues on next-generation spacesuits, lunar tools, and rovers at Johnson and its supporting training facilities. Listen as Apollo and Artemis astronauts, as well as subject matter experts, discuss the challenges of exploring the Moon in preparation for Mars
Future Artemis missions will face challenges including harsh lighting conditions, lunar dust, and extreme temperatures as NASA builds toward sustained exploration of the Moon and eventual human missions to Mars.
Explore More 1 min read NASA SBIR/STTR Phase I and II BAA, 2026 Appendix A and B are now live! Offers due May 21, 2026, 5:00PM EDT Article 13 hours ago 3 min read NASA’s 777 Aircraft Returns Home with Science Flights on the Horizon Article 15 hours ago 5 min read NASA at SXSW: Johnson Director Vanessa Wyche on Why Artemis Changes Everything Article 2 days agoArtemis II Mission Milestones: An Image and Video Recap
On April 1, 2026, Artemis II launched on a nearly 10-day voyage around the Moon, marking the first crewed flight of NASA’s Orion spacecraft. NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, splashed down on April 10 in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego.
At their farthest point, the crew traveled 252,756 miles from Earth, setting a record for the greatest distance humans have traveled in space and observing the lunar surface like never before.
Under Artemis, NASA will send astronauts on increasingly complex missions to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefit, and to prepare for future human missions to Mars.
Relive exciting mission moments through the videos and images shared below.
Pre-Launch Preparation The Artemis II crew and backup crew members NASA astronaut Andre Douglas and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jenni Gibbons trek across the Icelandic landscape during their field geology training.NASA/Robert MarkowitzTo prepare for lunar exploration, the Artemis II crew trained in Iceland’s volcanic terrain.
They practiced navigation and field geology skills in challenging conditions while working as a team. The astronauts collected rock samples using tools like hammers, scoops, and chisels, and provided feedback to instructors to refine future Artemis training sites.
Orion Crew Survival System (OCSS) suit long-duration fit check with Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman. NASA/Josh Valcarcel NASA/Josh ValcarcelThe crew trained extensively in NASA’s Orion Crew Survival System (OCSS), the bright orange spacesuit worn inside the Orion spacecraft during launch and re-entry.
Each suit is custom-fitted and includes systems for air, water, food, and waste management. In emergencies, it can sustain life for up to six days.
The crew practiced suit operations in simulated weightlessness and pressurized environments to confirm performance for deep space travel.
During the mission, the crew reflected on what the Moon means to them personally and professionally, sharing thoughts shaped by years of training and preparation.
Launch NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft with NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen launched April 1, 2026, from Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA/Bill Ingalls NASA/Keegan BarberLaunch of NASA’s Artemis II: Moon Rocket Camera Views
Enjoy launch views from cameras affixed to the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket. These cameras, developed by NASA, are called the Flight Imaging Launch Monitoring Real-time System (FILMRS). They survive some of the harshest environments of the avionics on the vehicle.
Mission to the MoonFlight Day Highlights
Flight Day 1This black and white image of Earth was captured by the optical navigation sensor on the exterior of the Orion spacecraft on the first day of the Artemis II mission, as the quartet inside were traveling farther than any humans have ventured in more than 50 years.NASA Flight Day 2A view of Earth taken by an Artemis II astronaut from one of the Orion spacecraft’s four windows after completing the translunar injection burn.NASA Flight Day 3View of a crescent Earth from the Orion spacecraft. NASA Flight Day 4Artemis II Mission Specialist Christina Koch is seen through a window of the Orion spacecraft while on her way to the Moon. This selfie-style photo was taken using a camera on the end of one of Orion’s solar array wings. Koch is holding “Rise”, the zero gravity indicator that launched with the crew after being selected from more than 2,600 original designs that were submitted from countries around the world. A zero gravity indicator is a small plush item that typically rides with a crew to visually indicate when they are in space. “Rise” was inspired by the iconic Earthrise moment from the Apollo 8 mission.NASA Flight Day 5A view of the nearside of the Moon, the side we always see from Earth. Some of the far side is visible, as well, on the left edge, just beyond the black patch that is Orientale basin, a nearly 600-mile-wide crater that straddles the Moon’s near and far sides and is partly visible from Earth. The dark areas in the center and right side of the disk are ancient lava flows, which are unique to the near side of the Moon. The white dot at the bottom of the disk, with white rays shooting out from it, is Tycho crater, one of the younger craters on the Moon at 108 million years old.NASA Flight Day 6Earth sets at 5:41 p.m. CDT, April 6, 2026, over the Moon’s curved limb in this photo captured by the Artemis II crew during their journey around the far side of the Moon. Orientale Basin is perched on the edge of the visible lunar surface. Hertzsprung Basin appears as two subtle concentric rings, which are interrupted by Vavilov, a younger crater superimposed over the older structure. The lines of indentations are secondary crater chains formed by ejecta from the massive impact that created Orientale. The dark portion of Earth is experiencing nighttime. On Earth’s day side, swirling clouds are visible over the Australia and Oceania region.NASA Flight Day 6Echoing the iconic Earthrise photo captured by the Apollo 8 astronauts in 1968, during the lunar flyby, the Artemis II crew captured a shot of Earthset as they passed behind the Moon’s far side.NASA Flight Day 6Seen 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.NASA Flight Day 6The Moon, backlit by the Sun during a solar eclipse, is photographed by NASA’s Orion spacecraft on April 6, 2026, during the Artemis II mission. Orion is visible in the foreground on the left. Earth is reflecting sunlight at the left edge of the Moon, which is slightly brighter than the rest of the disk. The bright spot visible just below the Moon’s bottom right edge is Saturn. Beyond that, the bright spot at the right edge of the image is Mars.NASA Flight Day 6 Solar array wing-mounted cameras capture close-up images of NASA’s Orion spacecraft during a routine external inspection. At the time this photo was taken at 7:27 a.m. CDT, April 7, the crew was in a sleep period ahead of their seventh day into the mission.NASA Flight Day 7A stunning snapshot in time. The Artemis II crew captured this breathtaking photo of our galaxy, the Milky Way. The Milky Way’s elegant spiral structure is dominated by just two arms wrapping off the ends of a central bar of stars. Spanning more than 100,000 light-years, Earth is located along one of the galaxy’s spiral arms, about halfway from the center.NASA Flight Day 7 The Artemis II crew – (clockwise from left) Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, Commander Reid Wiseman, and Pilot Victor Glover – pause for a group photo with their zero gravity indicator “Rise,” inside the Orion spacecraft on their way home.NASA Flight Day 10On April 10, 2026, NASA’s Artemis II crew members are hoisted into a U.S. Navy MH-60 helicopter after successfully splashing down in the Pacific Ocean following their nearly 10-day mission around the Moon.NASA/James Blair Flight Day 10On April 10, 2026, NASA’s Artemis II crew members are hoisted into a U.S. Navy MH-60 helicopter after successfully splashing down in the Pacific Ocean following their nearly 10-day mission around the Moon.NASA/James BlairReturn to Earth
After splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, NASA and U.S. Navy teams recovered the Orion spacecraft and crew.
Recovery teams secured the capsule, opened the hatch, and assisted the astronauts out. The crew was then flown by helicopter to the Navy recovery ship, while Orion was brought aboard for transport back to shore.
More Mission Moments NASA astronaut and Artemis II Mission Specialist Christina Koch peers out of one of the Orion spacecraft’s main cabin windows, looking back at Earth, as the crew travels toward the Moon.NASAView more imagery on the Artemis II Multimedia Resource Page.
Go/No-Go: NASA’s Space Toilet Explained
The Universal Waste Management System, or space toilet, is a critical onboard system.
During the mission, the crew worked through operational issues to maintain performance in microgravity.
Space-to-Space Call: NASA’s Artemis II Astronauts and the International Space Station
Members of the International Space Station Expedition 74 (left) and Artemis II (right) crews are seen at once on the screens inside the International Space Station flight control room in the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA/Robert MarkowitzA historic first took place during the mission: a direct call between a deep space crew and astronauts aboard the International Space Station.
Artemis II connected with Expedition 74 astronauts Chris Williams, Jack Hathaway, Jessica Meir, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot, marking the first ship-to-ship communication of its kind.
The Artemis II crew uses eclipse viewers, identical to what NASA produced for the 2023 annular eclipse and 2024 total solar eclipse, to protect their eyes at key moments during the solar eclipse they experienced during their lunar flyby. This was the first use of eclipse glasses at the Moon to safely view a solar eclipse.NASAArtemis II brought the crew to 252,756 miles from Earth at its farthest point and covered a total of 694,481 miles.
The lunar flyby set a new human distance record, surpassing Apollo 13’s 1970 record. The crew observed the Moon from closer range than any humans before them during a crewed mission.
Moon Joy, Courtesy of NASA’s Artemis II Astronauts
The Artemis II crew – (clockwise from left) Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, Commander Reid Wiseman, and Pilot Victor Glover – pause for a group photo with their zero gravity indicator “Rise,” inside the Orion spacecraft on their way home.NASAWith years of training and thousands of experts behind the mission, one unexpected outcome stood out: Moon joy.
It captured the emotional weight of seeing the Moon up close and the significance of returning humans to deep space.
Watch the official NASA broadcast as the Artemis II crew splashes down in the Pacific Ocean.
NASA’s Orion capsule descends under its main parachutes over the Pacific Ocean following a successful Artemis II mission, April 10, 2026.NASA/Josh Valcarcel NASA’s Artemis II crew shared remarks with friends, family, and colleagues after they landed at Ellington Airport on April 11, 2026.NASA/Helen Arase VargasThe Artemis II astronauts returned to Ellington Airport in Houston following their historic mission around the Moon.
Artemis II Crew News Conference
The crew shared reflections on their journey, the challenges of deep space flight, and what comes next for Artemis.
The Artemis II mission marks a major step forward in human exploration.
The mission demonstrated deep space crew operations, tested Orion systems with astronauts aboard, and set the stage for future lunar missions.
We are just getting started.
The Next Steps in Lunar Exploration 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.NASANASA is preparing for future missions to the Moon’s South Pole.
Work continues on next-generation spacesuits, lunar tools, and rovers at Johnson and its supporting training facilities. Listen as Apollo and Artemis astronauts, as well as subject matter experts, discuss the challenges of exploring the Moon in preparation for Mars
Future Artemis missions will face challenges including harsh lighting conditions, lunar dust, and extreme temperatures as NASA builds toward sustained exploration of the Moon and eventual human missions to Mars.
Explore More 1 min read NASA SBIR/STTR Phase I and II BAA, 2026 Appendix A and B are now live! Offers due May 21, 2026, 5:00PM EDT Article 18 hours ago 3 min read NASA’s 777 Aircraft Returns Home with Science Flights on the Horizon Article 19 hours ago 5 min read NASA at SXSW: Johnson Director Vanessa Wyche on Why Artemis Changes Everything Article 2 days agoCuriosity Blog, Sols 4867-4872: Sand Fill In Antofagasta Crater and Finding Our Next Drill Target
- Curiosity Home
- Science
- News and Features
- Multimedia
- Mars Missions
- Mars Home
3 min read
Curiosity Blog, Sols 4867-4872: Sand Fill In Antofagasta Crater and Finding Our Next Drill Target NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity acquired this image using its Right Navigation Camera on April 13, 2026 — Sol 4865, or Martian day 4,865 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission, at 21:36:04 UTC.NASA/JPL-Caltech
Written by Lucy Lim, Planetary Scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Earth planning date: Friday, April 17, 2026
At the beginning of the week, Curiosity arrived right on target on the rim of the 10-meter (33 feet) “Antofagasta” crater.
The crater looked fresh and deep as we had hoped with a nice well-defined rim that didn’t look too eroded, but the bottom of it turned out to be filled with dark rippled sandy material that covered up the most interesting rock layers. There were a few rock exposures just above the sand cover that seemed like they might have been deep enough to have been sheltered from space radiation between the time their sediments were deposited and the crater-forming impact, but reaching them from the rim would have put the rover at such an awkward angle that we wouldn’t have been able to deliver the sample to the instruments. It’s possible that we might have been able to get into a better position by instead placing the rover on the rippled crater fill, but the chance that the rover could get stuck in all that sand made it much too high a risk. We also looked at the nearby blocks in case they could have been ejecta from the crater, but since all the rocks visible in the crater wall looked very similar to each other, there wasn’t a good way to tell which ejecta blocks might have come from the deeper layers of the crater. Because of this, the team decided against attempting to drill in or around the crater.
Luckily the rover’s workspace was rich with interesting bedrock targets including polygonal features. We planned detailed imaging of the crater and nearby buttes together with APXS geochemistry, MAHLI close-up imaging and ChemCam LIBS geochemistry of the polygon-bearing rocks on the crater rim. The plan was rounded out with our ongoing observations of the present-day Martian environment, including monitoring for dust-devil activity and regular measurements of atmospheric opacity and clouds.
Meanwhile, with the decision not to drill at Antofagasta, we started planning our next drill campaign! To plan our drill strategy in this post-boxwork section of the layered sulfate strata, we’ve been looking at the exposed layering in the buttes above us as we have been driving up through “Valle Grande.” Based on these observations, team members have mapped out a succession of varying depositional styles and levels of diagenetic activity. As we climb southwards, the rover will reach these rock layers one by one.
It’s been quite a while since we’ve drilled into the layered sulfate rocks outside the distinctive regions of the boxwork-forming unit and Gediz Vallis. The last “typical” layered sulfate drill was the “Mineral King” campaign in February/March 2024, more than 150 meters (492 feet) lower in elevation. So for our next drill campaign our goal is to measure a representative bedrock sample from the layers just above the boxworks. The Sol 4870 workspace turned out to have a drillable-looking, representative-looking block right in front of the rover so we have planned our preliminary APXS, MAHLI, and ChemCam geochemistry on the potential drill target, “Atacama,” in addition to some measurements on surrounding blocks for context. If the results look good we’ll proceed with the preload test in the next plan and look forward to a new set of drill data on Mars.
-
Want to read more posts from the Curiosity team?
-
Want to learn more about Curiosity’s science instruments?
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun, and the seventh largest. It’s the only planet we know of inhabited…
All Mars ResourcesExplore this collection of Mars images, videos, resources, PDFs, and toolkits. Discover valuable content designed to inform, educate, and inspire,…
Rover BasicsEach robotic explorer sent to the Red Planet has its own unique capabilities driven by science. Many attributes of a…
Mars Exploration: Science GoalsThe key to understanding the past, present or future potential for life on Mars can be found in NASA’s four…
Curiosity Blog, Sols 4867-4872: Sand Fill In Antofagasta Crater and Finding Our Next Drill Target
- Curiosity Home
- Science
- News and Features
- Multimedia
- Mars Missions
- Mars Home
3 min read
Curiosity Blog, Sols 4867-4872: Sand Fill In Antofagasta Crater and Finding Our Next Drill Target NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity acquired this image using its Right Navigation Camera on April 13, 2026 — Sol 4865, or Martian day 4,865 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission, at 21:36:04 UTC.NASA/JPL-CaltechWritten by Lucy Lim, Planetary Scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Earth planning date: Friday, April 17, 2026
At the beginning of the week, Curiosity arrived right on target on the rim of the 10-meter (33 feet) “Antofagasta” crater.
The crater looked fresh and deep as we had hoped with a nice well-defined rim that didn’t look too eroded, but the bottom of it turned out to be filled with dark rippled sandy material that covered up the most interesting rock layers. There were a few rock exposures just above the sand cover that seemed like they might have been deep enough to have been sheltered from space radiation between the time their sediments were deposited and the crater-forming impact, but reaching them from the rim would have put the rover at such an awkward angle that we wouldn’t have been able to deliver the sample to the instruments. It’s possible that we might have been able to get into a better position by instead placing the rover on the rippled crater fill, but the chance that the rover could get stuck in all that sand made it much too high a risk. We also looked at the nearby blocks in case they could have been ejecta from the crater, but since all the rocks visible in the crater wall looked very similar to each other, there wasn’t a good way to tell which ejecta blocks might have come from the deeper layers of the crater. Because of this, the team decided against attempting to drill in or around the crater.
Luckily the rover’s workspace was rich with interesting bedrock targets including polygonal features. We planned detailed imaging of the crater and nearby buttes together with APXS geochemistry, MAHLI close-up imaging and ChemCam LIBS geochemistry of the polygon-bearing rocks on the crater rim. The plan was rounded out with our ongoing observations of the present-day Martian environment, including monitoring for dust-devil activity and regular measurements of atmospheric opacity and clouds.
Meanwhile, with the decision not to drill at Antofagasta, we started planning our next drill campaign! To plan our drill strategy in this post-boxwork section of the layered sulfate strata, we’ve been looking at the exposed layering in the buttes above us as we have been driving up through “Valle Grande.” Based on these observations, team members have mapped out a succession of varying depositional styles and levels of diagenetic activity. As we climb southwards, the rover will reach these rock layers one by one.
It’s been quite a while since we’ve drilled into the layered sulfate rocks outside the distinctive regions of the boxwork-forming unit and Gediz Vallis. The last “typical” layered sulfate drill was the “Mineral King” campaign in February/March 2024, more than 150 meters (492 feet) lower in elevation. So for our next drill campaign our goal is to measure a representative bedrock sample from the layers just above the boxworks. The Sol 4870 workspace turned out to have a drillable-looking, representative-looking block right in front of the rover so we have planned our preliminary APXS, MAHLI, and ChemCam geochemistry on the potential drill target, “Atacama,” in addition to some measurements on surrounding blocks for context. If the results look good we’ll proceed with the preload test in the next plan and look forward to a new set of drill data on Mars.
-
Want to read more posts from the Curiosity team?
-
Want to learn more about Curiosity’s science instruments?
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun, and the seventh largest. It’s the only planet we know of inhabited…
All Mars ResourcesExplore this collection of Mars images, videos, resources, PDFs, and toolkits. Discover valuable content designed to inform, educate, and inspire,…
Rover BasicsEach robotic explorer sent to the Red Planet has its own unique capabilities driven by science. Many attributes of a…
Mars Exploration: Science GoalsThe key to understanding the past, present or future potential for life on Mars can be found in NASA’s four…