Kennedy Space Center Will Soon Begin Ground Preps for Artemis 3...

NASA / Kim Shiflett

NASA’s Mobile Launcher Arrives at Vehicle Assembly Building (News Release)

After successfully being used to launch the Artemis II lunar test flight on April 1, NASA’s Mobile Launcher is now inside NASA Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) in Florida in preparation for the Artemis III test flight mission's rocket-stacking operations.

NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program rolled the launcher on a 4-mile trek from Launch Complex 39B to the VAB along the crawlerway on April 16. The trip, which normally takes eight to 12 hours on top of the agency’s Crawler-Transporter 2, had several built-in pauses to allow teams to rest. The launcher arrived inside the VAB at 11:40 a.m. EDT on Friday, April 17.

Standing at 380 feet tall, the Mobile Launcher – which will be used to assemble, process and launch the Artemis III mission’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft – contains all of the connection lines, known as umbilicals, and ground support equipment that will provide the rocket and spacecraft with the power, communications, fuel and coolant necessary for launch. This was the Mobile Launcher’s last solo trek out to the launch pad ahead of integration of the SLS rocket, and it will remain inside the VAB until it is ready to return to the pad with the rocket.

Now inside the VAB, technicians and engineers will finish conducting Artemis II post-launch inspections and repairs in preparation for the Artemis III mission next year.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Kim Shiflett


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NASA / Kim Shiflett

More Flight Components for the Third SLS Rocket Are Now Arriving in Florida...

NASA / Frank Michaux

Artemis III SRB Arrival Unboxing - LH (Left-Hand) Booster Segment (Photo Release)

The left-hand forward solid rocket booster segment for NASA’s Artemis III SLS (Space Launch System) rocket is removed from its shipping container ahead of processing inside the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, April 15, 2026.

The SLS rocket’s twin boosters, manufactured by Northrop Grumman in Utah, will provide more than 75 percent of the SLS rocket’s total thrust at launch.

The Artemis III mission will launch crew in the Orion spacecraft on top of the SLS rocket to test rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and commercial spacecraft needed to land astronauts on the Moon.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Frank Michaux

The Latest Update on America's Next-Generation Spaceplane...

Sierra Space

Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser® Spaceplane Successfully Completed Milestone at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (Press Release)

LOUISVILLE, Colo. – Sierra Space Corp. (“Sierra Space”), a defense-tech space company delivering solutions for the nation’s most critical missions and advancing the future of security in space, announced today the completion of launch acoustic testing for its Dream Chaser® spaceplane, Tenacity, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center’s Space Systems Processing Facility (SSPF). This milestone validates the spaceplane’s ability to withstand the intense vibrations produced from sound waves during a rocket launch as it prepares for its first flight to Low-Earth Orbit (LEO).

Rigorous Testing for Launch Readiness

Acoustic testing at NASA’s SSPF utilized an array of 90 stacked speakers to simulate sound and airborne vibrations experienced during a rocket launch. The Dream Chaser spaceplane was positioned at the center of the test setup with its wings stowed, mirroring its configuration inside the 5-meter payload fairing during actual launch. The successful test validated the durability of Dream Chaser’s critical electronic systems and confirmed the structural integrity of the spacecraft.

“We believe Dream Chaser represents a transformative capability for space-based civilian and national security operations,” said Dr. Dan Polis, Dream Chaser program manager and vice president of Engineering at Sierra Space. “It is designed to carry both pressurized and unpressurized payloads, combined with reusability and gentle runway landings, making it ideal for missions critical and time-sensitive missions.”

Preparing for First Flight

Dream Chaser has achieved several key milestones, including EMI/EMC testing, high-speed tow testing, and a post-landing recovery rehearsal. It also demonstrated command and telemetry capabilities with Mission Control in Louisville, Colo, using NASA’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System.

With acoustic testing complete, Dream Chaser has been transported to Colorado for final modifications and mission-specific upgrades. On its first mission, the spaceplane will operate as a free-flying platform in support of NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services-2 (CRS-2) contract.

Source: Sierra Space

Photo of the Day: Marking 45 Years Since the Launch of STS-1...

NASA

Hail, Columbia! Just thought I'd share this iconic image of NASA's first space-worthy orbiter lifting off from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39A on April 12, 1981. And two days later, this test flight—known as STS-1—would come to a successful end when astronauts Robert Crippen and John Young piloted Columbia to a landing in the middle of a dry lake bed at Edwards Air Force Base in California. And so began the 30-year space shuttle program that included such highlights as the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the deployment of the Magellan robotic probe to Venus, the send-off of the Galileo orbiter to Jupiter, and eventually, the commencement of construction on the International Space Station.

But sadly, this program would also include two tragedies that claimed the lives of 14 brave astronauts (in 1986 and 2003), and the in-flight loss of Columbia herself.

Even though Columbia didn't ultimately make her way into a museum like Enterprise, Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour did, her legacy will live on. The storied space shuttle program gave rise to Artemis...which utilizes shuttle hardware on the Space Launch System and Orion, respectively, as they are now looking ahead to their third lunar flight on Artemis 3. Columbia may have spent all of her career in low-Earth orbit, but the amount of knowledge gleamed from flying her and her sister ships (excluding Enterprise, the orbiter prototype) for over three decades have no doubt played a role in guiding astronauts back to the Moon for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972.

Columbia may be gone, but the spirit of human spaceflight (which began 60 years ago today with the launch of Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin on Vostok 1) remains stronger than ever. Ad astra.

PHOTOS OF THE DAY: THE ARTEMIS 2 CREW IS SAFELY BACK ON EARTH!

NASA \ Josh Valcarcel

Over nine days after embarking on their historic lunar trip from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Artemis 2 astronauts are safely back on Earth! Their Orion capsule Integrity successfully splashed down into the Pacific Ocean 50 miles off the coast of San Diego at 5:07 pm, PDT yesterday.

A few hours after splashdown, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen were transported back to shore by way of helicopters from the U.S. Navy recovery ship, USS John P. Murtha. The Artemis 2 crew then took a NASA charter jet back to Houston to reunite with their families. Navy personnel fully secured Integrity inside the well deck of the John P. Murtha earlier this morning.

With Artemis 2 now in the history books, NASA is looking ahead to Artemis 3...which is scheduled to launch on an Earth-orbiting test flight later next year! The core stage booster for Artemis 3's Space Launch System rocket will roll out of NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility near New Orleans on April 20th—in preparation for its trip to Kennedy Space Center to complete final assembly and eventual launch preps. Stay tuned!


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Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class David Rowe


Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class David Rowe


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NASA / Bill Ingalls


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NASA / Joel Kowsky

Do you have rocket fever? We have something for that.

Digital creators and social media storytellers are invited to register to attend the rollout of the Artemis III core stage from NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans later this month. Registration is open from April… pic.twitter.com/fJwP00uhEi

— NASA (@NASA) April 7, 2026

The Artemis 2 Astronauts Continue Their Journey Back to Earth...

NASA

Crew Prepares to Come Home (News Release)

On their last full day in space, the Artemis II crew began the morning with Lonesome Drifter by Charley Crockett as they approached Earth at 147,337 miles.

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

Cabin configuration for re-entry

Koch and Hansen will begin by stowing equipment that they have had out during the mission, removing cargo and locker netting, installing and adjusting crew seats to ensure all items are secured before their return to Earth. As part of the day’s activities, the crew will review the latest weather briefing, recovery force status, and entry timeline. Throughout the day, they will also work through post‑landing operations.

Another push home

Orion’s thrusters are scheduled to ignite for the second return trajectory correction burn at 9:53 p.m. EDT to fine‑tune the spacecraft’s path towards Earth. The maneuver will further refine Orion’s trajectory and ensure that the spacecraft remains aligned for atmospheric re-entry. During the burn, Hansen will review the procedure steps and monitor Orion’s guidance, navigation and propulsion systems.

Preparing for splashdown

As Artemis II nears its return to Earth, NASA teams on the ground are completing final preparations for Orion’s re-entry and splashdown around 8:07 p.m. (5:07 p.m. PDT) on Friday, April 10, off the coast of San Diego.

The agency will continue to provide updates about the test flight during the daily mission briefing. Today’s mission status briefing is at 3:30 p.m. and will stream on NASA’s 24/7 coverage on the agency’s YouTube channel.

During re-entry, the service module will separate around 7:33 p.m., about 20 minutes before Orion reaches the upper atmosphere southeast of Hawaii. At 7:37 p.m., a final trajectory‑adjustment burn will fine‑tune the flight path before the spacecraft begins a series of roll maneuvers to safely distance itself from departing hardware. Orion will reach its maximum velocity — approximately 23,864 mph — just before entry interface.

As Orion descends through about 400,000 feet, the spacecraft will enter a planned six‑minute communications blackout at 7:53 p.m. as plasma forms around the capsule during peak heating. The crew is expected to experience up to 3.9 Gs in a nominal landing profile.

After emerging from blackout, Orion will jettison its forward bay cover, deploy its drogue parachutes near 22,000 feet at 8:03 p.m., and then unfurl its three main parachutes around 6,000 feet at 8:04 p.m. to slow the capsule for splashdown off the coast of San Diego.

Within two hours after splashdown, the crew will be extracted from Orion and flown to the USS John P. Murtha. Recovery teams will retrieve the crew using helicopters, and once aboard the ship, the astronauts will undergo post‑mission medical evaluations before returning to shore to board an aircraft bound for NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA

🚨📰 #USNAVY UPDATE: USS John P. Murtha to support NASA's Artemis II mission

SAN DIEGO – Amphibious transport dock ship USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26) is slated to serve as the recovery ship for the Orion spacecraft and its crew upon their return from the historic Artemis II… pic.twitter.com/eMUDr04rhP

— U.S. Navy (@USNavy) April 8, 2026

PHOTOS OF THE DAY: THE ARTEMIS 2 ASTRONAUTS COMPLETE THEIR HISTORIC FLYBY OF THE MOON...

NASA

I'm at a loss for words in terms of what to say about all of these amazing images that were taken by the Artemis 2 astronauts during their historic lunar flyby yesterday, so I'll let these pictures do most of the talking!

From 'Earthset' photos to otherwordly images of the Orion spacecraft passing behind the Moon during a solar eclipse that couldn't be witnessed by anyone here on Earth, this treasure trove of pictures will obviously be gracing science and history books for generations to come. Well-done, Reid, Victor, Christina and Jeremy!


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Orion Continues to Stay the Course on its Journey towards the Moon...

NASA

Outbound Trajectory Correction Burn Update (News Release)

NASA’s Artemis II crew in Orion continues on a precise trajectory to fly by the Moon on Monday, April 6. Flight controllers in mission control at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston elected to cancel the spacecraft’s first outbound trajectory correction burn, as the spacecraft’s trajectory is on the right flight path.

This burn was the first of three planned trajectory adjustments in the mission timeline to fine‑tune the spacecraft’s velocity and trajectory. Any adjustments needed may be incorporated into a subsequent correction burn.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA

The Artemis 2 Astronauts Are Officially Headed to their Lunar Destination...

NASA / Reid Wiseman

Orion Completes TLI Burn, Crew Begins Journey to the Moon (News Release)

NASA’s Artemis II crew is on the way to the Moon.

After the mission management team polled “Go” on Thursday, NASA’s Orion spacecraft fired its main engine for five minutes and 50 seconds beginning at 7:49 p.m. EDT, to successfully complete the translunar injection (TLI) burn, sending the crew in Orion out of Earth orbit and on a trajectory towards the Moon.

Orion’s main engine provides up to 6,700 pounds of thrust, enough to accelerate a car from 0 to 60 mph in about 2.7 seconds. At the time of the burn, Orion’s mass was 58,000 pounds and burned approximately 1,000 pounds of fuel during the firing.

Crew members are also spending time exercising on the spacecraft’s flywheel exercise device. During exercise, teams on the ground monitored the spacecraft’s air revitalization system, which maintains a breathable, comfortable cabin environment for the crew, and assessed how exercise impacts movement of the spacecraft.

The flywheel uses a simple cable‑based mechanism that supports both aerobic exercises like rowing and resistive movements such as squats and deadlifts. Operating much like a yo‑yo, the device provides resistance proportional to the force applied, allowing loads up to 400 pounds. This capability is especially important in deep space, where astronauts do not have access to the extensive exercise equipment aboard the International Space Station.

On the station, crews rely on more than 4,000 pounds of exercise hardware spread across roughly 850 cubic feet. In contrast, Orion’s flywheel weighs just 30 pounds and is about the size of a carry‑on suitcase—meeting the strict mass and volume constraints of deep‑space missions while still supporting crew health and reentry readiness.

The crew members – NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen – have successfully checked out the AVATAR scientific payload.

Engineers also determined that a brief loss of two-way communications between the ground and crew that occurred shortly after the crew reached orbit was due to a ground configuration issue involving the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite system. The issue was rectified quickly with no impact to mission operations.

Lunar Science Team Prepares for Flyby

After the TLI burn that sent Orion on its path to the Moon, the lunar science team began building a Lunar Targeting Plan, a guide to what the crew will look at on the Moon’s surface during its approximately six-hour observation on Monday, April 6.

The targeting plan will include documenting features that can help scientists understand how the Moon and Solar System formed, such as craters, ancient lava flows, and cracks and ridges created as the Moon’s outer layer slowly shifted over time.

One feature that will be added to the plan is a solar eclipse, which will last for nearly an hour towards the end of the flyby window. During the eclipse, the Sun will be hidden from view as it moves behind the Moon from the perspective of Orion. The crew will see a mostly-dark Moon at this time — an opportunity for them to look for flashes of light from meteoroids striking the Moon’s surface, dust lofting above the edge of the Moon, and deep space targets, including planets.

While the Sun slides behind the Moon, the crew will observe the solar corona, the Sun’s outermost atmosphere, while it’s visible.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Reid Wiseman

THE FIRST CREWED LUNAR FLIGHT SINCE 1972 HAS BEGUN!

NASA / Keegan Barber

Liftoff! NASA Launches Astronauts on Historic Artemis Moon Mission (News Release)

Spurred by American ingenuity, astronauts on NASA’s Artemis II mission are in flight, preparing for the first crewed lunar flyby in more than 50 years.

NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket lifted off from Launch Complex 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 6:35 p.m. EDT Wednesday, sending four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft on a planned test flight around the Moon and back.

“Today’s launch marks a defining moment for our nation and for all who believe in exploration. Aboard Orion are four remarkable explorers preparing for the first crewed flight of this rocket and spacecraft, a true test mission that will carry them farther and faster than any humans in a generation,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “Artemis II is the start of something bigger than any one mission. It marks our return to the Moon, not just to visit, but to eventually stay on our Moon Base, and lays the foundation for the next giant leaps ahead.”

The successful launch is the beginning of an approximately 10-day mission for NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen. As the first crewed mission of NASA’s Artemis program, among its objectives, the flight will demonstrate life support systems for the first time with crew and lay the foundation for an enduring presence on the Moon ahead of future missions to Mars.

After reaching space, Orion deployed its solar array wings, enabling the spacecraft to receive energy from the Sun, while the crew and engineers on the ground immediately began transitioning the spacecraft from launch to flight operations to start checking out key systems.

“Artemis II is a test flight, and the test has just begun. The team that built this vehicle, repaired it, and prepared it for flight has given our crew the machine they need to go prove what it can do,” said NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya. “Over the next 10 days, Reid, Victor, Christina and Jeremy will put Orion through its paces so the crews who follow them can go to the Moon’s surface with confidence. We are one mission into a long campaign, and the work ahead of us is greater than the work behind us.”

About 49 minutes into the test flight, the SLS rocket’s upper stage fired to put Orion into an elliptical orbit around Earth. A second planned burn by the stage will propel Orion, which the crew named Integrity into a high-Earth orbit extending about 46,000 miles beyond Earth. After the burn, Orion will separate from the stage, flying free on its own.

In several hours, a ring on the rocket’s upper stage, which will be a safe distance away from the spacecraft, will deploy four CubeSats – small satellites from Argentina’s Comisión Nacional de Actividades Espaciales, German Aerospace Center, Korea AeroSpace Administration, and Saudi Space Agency – to perform scientific investigations and technology demonstrations.

The spacecraft will remain in high-Earth orbit for about a day, where the crew will conduct a manual pilot demonstration to test Orion’s handling capabilities. The astronauts, with Mission Control Center teams at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, will continue checking spacecraft systems.

If all systems remain healthy, mission controllers will give Orion’s European-built service module a command to conduct the translunar injection burn on Thursday, April 2. This move is an approximately six-minute firing to send the spacecraft on a trajectory that will simultaneously carry crew around the Moon, while also harnessing lunar gravity to slingshot them back to Earth.

During a planned multi-hour lunar flyby on Monday, April 6, the astronauts will take photographs and provide observations of the Moon’s surface as the first people to lay eyes on some areas of the far side. Although the lunar far side will only be partially illuminated during the flyby, the conditions should create shadows that stretch across the surface, enhancing relief and revealing depth, ridges, slopes and crater rims that are often difficult to detect under full illumination. Crew observations and other human health scientific investigations during the mission, such as AVATAR, will inform science during future Moon missions.

Following a successful lunar flyby, the astronauts will return to Earth and splash down in the Pacific Ocean.

As part of the Golden Age of innovation and exploration, NASA will send Artemis astronauts on increasingly difficult missions to explore more of the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build on our foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Aubrey Gemignani


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