🌕 Moon Missions and Astronauts
Crew 13 astronauts reach the space station in record timeFour astronauts reached the International Space Station just 7 hours and 55 minutes after launch, the fastest trip ever by an American spacecraft.- 🚀 The Crew 13 mission launched from Florida on a SpaceX rocket.
- ⏱️ It docked with the space station in under eight hours, a new American record.
- 👩🚀 The crew includes astronauts from the USA, Canada and Russia.
- 🌍 The space station was in just the right spot, which made the trip extra short.
- 🔬 The astronauts will live and do experiments in space for about six months.
NASA astronauts do a six and a half hour spacewalkTwo astronauts worked outside the Space Station to get it ready for new solar panels.- 🚀 Two astronauts stepped outside the Space Station for a very long spacewalk.
- ⏱️ Jessica Meir and Anil Menon worked outside for six and a half hours.
- 🔧 They were getting the station ready for new solar panels called iROSA.
- ☀️ These new panels will give the space station more power from the sun.
- 🥳 It was the very first spacewalk ever for astronaut Anil Menon.
Artemis II photographs Earth lit by moonlightThe crew captured green auroras and city lights from the Orion spacecraft.- 🚀 NASA's Artemis II mission sent astronauts around the Moon, and they took the most breathtaking photo of Earth lit only by moonlight!
- 📷 The crew used a special camera set to an incredibly high sensitivity to capture the dark side of Earth glowing with green auroras and city lights.
- 🛰️ The photo was taken from the Orion spacecraft after it left Earth's orbit and headed towards the Moon.
- 🌅 In the picture, Earth appears to block the Sun, leaving just a tiny golden glow around its edge, it looks like something from a movie!
- 🏅 Artemis II is NASA's first mission to send humans around the Moon in more than 50 years, and it is setting records along the way.
A rocket explosion could delay trips to the MoonBlue Origin's New Glenn rocket had a big accident during a test.- 💥 A large rocket named New Glenn had a big accident during a recent test.
- 🔧 This explosion means the team at Blue Origin must check on their equipment.
- 🌙 Scientists are worried the explosion might cause delays for special trips to the moon.
- 🔍 Experts will look closely at what happened to make sure everything is safe.
- 🛰️ NASA needs this giant rocket to help with very important space exploration goals soon.
Artemis II crew gives 5-year-old aspiring astronaut Commander Jack a new spacesuitThe Artemis II team gained a new member, and the crew made sure their youngest teammate had the right stuff.- 🚀 The Artemis II crew surprised a 5-year-old boy nicknamed "Commander Jack" who loves space.
- 👨🚀 Astronaut Christina Koch gave him a special orange spacesuit just like the real crew wears.
- 🧡 The suit even had "Commander" written on it and was signed by the astronauts.
- 🌟 Jack was most excited when he saw the NASA name on the suit.
- 🤗 He happily accepted the gift, showing how much the mission inspired him to dream of becoming an astronaut.
NASA launches four astronauts around the Moon on Artemis IIFour astronauts blasted off from Florida on a ten day trip around the Moon.- 🚀 Four astronauts blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on the Artemis II mission.
- 🛰️ They are flying on the giant SLS rocket inside the Orion capsule.
- 🌙 The ten day mission will take them around the Moon, possibly farther from Earth than any humans have ever been.
- 🌍 The crew is a diverse team from the United States and Canada.
- 🔧 Engineers fixed small technical problems, like fuel leaks and sensors, before launch, and the mission will help build future Moon bases and prepare for Mars!
NASA's Artemis II astronauts fly around the Moon and come safely homeFour astronauts travelled further from Earth than anyone in over 50 years, then splashed down in the Pacific.- 🚀 The Artemis II mission carried four astronauts, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen, on a trip around the Moon.
- 🌕 They did not land, but they flew around the far side of the Moon, seeing parts of it that no human eyes had seen up close for decades.
- 📡 During the flight the crew tested the Orion spacecraft's systems to make sure it is ready for future missions that will land on the Moon.
- 🪂 To come home, the capsule used giant parachutes and splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean, where ships were waiting to pick up the crew.
- 🧑🚀 Artemis II is a big step toward Artemis III, which plans to put astronauts back on the Moon's surface, including the first woman to walk there.
Nasa targets March 6 date to send humans back around the MoonNasa set the launch date after a successful practice countdown of the Artemis II mission.- 🌕 Nasa wants to send four astronauts around the Moon in early March on a big rocket called the Space Launch System. This mission is named Artemis II and it will be the first time people travel that far in more than 50 years.
- 🚀 The astronauts will fly in a small spacecraft called Orion. It is about the size of a minibus where they will eat, sleep, and work during their 10 day trip.
- 🌍 First, they will circle Earth. Then they will travel for four days to go around the far side of the Moon, the side we cannot see from Earth.
- 🌊 After flying around the Moon, they will return to Earth and land safely in the Pacific Ocean.
- 👩🚀 If this mission goes well, Nasa hopes to land astronauts on the Moon again by 2028, just like during the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.
NASA to roll out rocket for Artemis 2 moon mission on Jan. 17Launch could come as soon as Feb. 6.- 🚀 NASA is getting a huge rocket ready for a moon trip. On January 17 the rocket will slowly move to the launch pad in Florida to be checked.
- 🌕 This mission is called Artemis 2. It will send four astronauts on a ten day journey around the moon and then safely back to Earth.
- 👩🚀 The astronauts will not land on the moon, but they will fly very close. This has not happened since astronauts went long ago.
- 🔧 Before flying, NASA will do practice tests. They will fill the rocket with fuel and pretend it is launch day to make sure everything works.
- 📅 If all tests go well and the weather is good, the rocket could launch as early as February 6. Everyone hopes for a safe and exciting mission.
New Uranus moon discovered by James Webb space telescopeEven though S/2025 U1 is pretty tiny, measuring only 10km wide, the team behind the moon spotting say that it's big news.- 🌕 Scientists using the James Webb Space Telescope discovered a new moon around Uranus, the 29th moon!
- 🔭 The moon is called S/2025 U1 for now and is about 10 km wide, so small that even Voyager 2 missed it.
- 📷 The telescope found it by taking 40 minute long photos, which revealed this very faint moon.
- 📚 The moon will get a real name later, just like Uranus' other moons named after Shakespeare and Pope's characters, such as Desdemona and Ophelia.
- ❄️ Uranus is a cold, windy ice giant that looks blue because of methane in its atmosphere, and this discovery helps scientists learn more about it.
First Michelin-starred gourmet meal to be served in space in 2026French astronaut Sophie Adenot has teamed up with a top chef to come up with a list of very fancy starters, mains and desserts to look forward to on her mission on the International Space Station.- 🍲 Astronaut Sophie is going to space with fancy food! Instead of boring space meals, she's bringing yummy dishes made by a famous chef.
- 🧑🚀 She'll eat things like lobster soup and chocolate cream! That's way fancier than freeze dried space food.
- 🍽️ Space food has to follow special rules. It can't be messy, heavy, or go bad quickly, it has to last for a long time!
- 🫶 Sophie says sharing food helps astronauts become better friends. Everyone gets to taste each other's favourite meals and learn about their cultures.
- ❓ What meal would you choose to eat in space? A cheesy pizza? Pancakes? Ice cream? Let your imagination blast off!
