Space Newsspace history and artifacts articlesMessagesspace history discussion forumsSightingsworldwide astronaut appearancesResourcesselected space history documents
: Apple on Thursday (April 23) dropped the trailer for "Star City," its spin off series to the alt-space-history drama "For All Mankind." Set to premiere on May 29, the new show returns viewers to the event that veered off our timeline and launched the franchise, the first human to land on the moon. "But this time, we explore the story from behind the Iron Curtain," showing the lives of the Soviet workers and the risks they took to propel us forward.
: Can you wear white after Labor Day if your destination is Earth orbit? Vast, a company working to launch the first commercial space station, seems to think so with the reveal of its astronaut flight suit. The custom-fit, two-piece white jacket and trousers has plenty of pockets and hook-and-fastener (Velcro) attach points to keep tools handy. Vast has also tested and certified a new wristwatch developed for spaceflight by IWC Schaffhausen.
: The Royal Canadian Mint is celebrating the country's first astronaut to fly to the moon with the limited issuance of a silver collectible. The Moon Mission-1 coin depicts a Canadian astronaut wearing a full Orion Crew Survival System (OCSS) pressure suit, just as Jeremy Hansen wore on NASA's Artemis II mission. When lit by the included black light, the moon glows and Earth is revealed in the helmet visor. The coin retails for $200 (US).
: Estes Rockets latest real-life flying model kit recreates the powerhouse that put NASA's original coupe into orbit. Ten missions flew two astronauts each on flights that each began with a Gemini Titan launch. Estes' 1:48 scale version of the human-rated missile is made from 50 parts that when assembled stand more than two two feet tall and can fly over 350 feet high. The $89.99 expert skill model is designed to both fly and be displayed.
: Breitling has introduced a new model of its first watch worn in space timed with the return of its first watch flown to the moon. The new Navitimer B02 Chronograph 41 Cosmonaute Artemis II features a 24-hour dial like the timepieces worn by Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter and the first four people to fly by the moon in more than 50 years. The $11,900 limited watch has a meteorite dial and the Artemis II patch on its reverse.
Ten days and 694,481 miles after leaving Earth for the moon, the Artemis II crew has returned. Slowed by parachutes, the astronaut's Orion spacecraft "Integrity" splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of San Diego, on Friday evening (April 10). NASA's Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, together with Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency, made history as the first people to fly by the moon in 53 years.
: The first photos are in from the Artemis II crew's seven-hour flyby of the moon on Monday (April 6). Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen captured images of the far side of the moon, including craters that have never before been seen in-person by human eyes. They also witnessed Earthrise and Earthset, and observed an almost-hour long solar eclipse, while flying about 4,000 miles over the moon.
: Two "White Rockets," one that helped NASA open up the skies and another that prepared astronauts to soar into space, have arrived at the same end — as MotoArt PlaneTags. Cut into luggage ID tag-inspired ovals, the metal skins from the research-used N864NA and training-flown N910NA T-38 jets have become collectibles. Together 864 and 910 represent the history of the Northrop T-38 at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
: Microgravity and their cramped quarters may not have been the only reasons why the Artemis II astronauts were bouncing off the walls on their way to the moon. It could've been the truffles. The crew ate Andreas' chocolate energy spheres during the mission. The ganache blends dark chocolate, coffee beans and algae oil with caffeine and other natural additives for enhanced focus, sustained energy and added cognizance.
: The film "Project Hail Mary" and the NASA moon mission Artemis II are having a moment. Not only have both soared to new heights in their respective pursuits, but have even interacted a bit. Behind the scenes, they also have shared an unlikely crossover: trouble with flags. To be clear, it never became a "Houston, we've had a problem" moment, but the mission's and movie's challenges illustrate the strength of symbology.
: From a jar of Nutella to Nikon cameras, brand name products flew by the moon on Artemis II and are now on their way back to Earth with the crew aboard the Orion spacecraft "Integrity." The items made life for the astronauts smoother, tastier and timelier, while also being a reminder of home. Now the question is if the brands will seek to capitalize on the flight, as some already have, or leave it to their fans to celebrate.
: As the Artemis II crew approached the start of their lunar flyby on Monday (April 6), the site where the Apollo 13 mission had planned to land came into view. Shortly thereafter, the Artemis II crew's Orion spacecraft "Integrity" surpassed the record distance set by the Apollo 13 crew. There is no way that Jim Lovell could have known then, but his posthumous description of the area as his "old neighborhood" felt especially poignant.
advertisements
