Topic: [Discuss] NASA's Artemis II mission (Orion)
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 56368 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 03-30-2026 04:11 PM
NASA video
Following a key mission meeting, NASA leaders are providing a status update on Artemis II launch preparations two days before liftoff.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 56368 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 03-31-2026 10:16 AM
quote:Originally posted by SpaceAngel: Will there be an VIPs attending...
Congressman Mike Haridopolos (FL-08), who represents Florida's Space Coast and who chairs the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee, will be at Kennedy Space Center for the launch of Artemis II.
As more VIPs are announced (or announce themselves), they will be posted here.
perineau Member
Posts: 433 From: FRANCE Registered: Jul 2007
posted 03-31-2026 01:36 PM
Question for the group: Why is Artemis II not trying to enter lunar orbit and only doing a fly-around?
onesmallstep Member
Posts: 1568 From: Staten Island, New York USA Registered: Nov 2007
posted 03-31-2026 03:20 PM
Plan was never to do a lunar orbit insertion like on Apollo 8. A free-return trajectory (similar but not exactly like Apollo 13) offers the best, least risky option if the engine on the Orion Service Module runs into problems.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 56368 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 03-31-2026 03:25 PM
NASA originally planned for Artemis II to enter lunar orbit, but after Artemis I demonstrated Orion's ability to do that, the program looked to other ways to test Orion's systems (this being a shakeout cruise, much like Apollo 7).
What they came up with was the proximity operations demonstration that will take place in Earth orbit on the first day of the mission. Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover will take turns in the commander's seat executing rendezvous and docking maneuvers with the SLS upper stage (ICPS or Interim Cryogenic Propulsion System) serving as the target.
To do that, though, the ICPS needs to use the propellant normally reserved for the trans-lunar injection (TLI) burn to maneuver safely away from Orion and dispose of itself when the proximity operations are over.
That leaves the European Service Module engine to conduct the TLI burn and it does not have the propellant capacity to do that and enter and exit lunar orbit.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 56368 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 03-31-2026 04:03 PM
NASA video
NASA leaders are providing a status update on final preparations before the launch of Artemis II as soon as April 1.
Blackarrow Member
Posts: 3953 From: Belfast, United Kingdom Registered: Feb 2002
posted 04-01-2026 09:55 AM
When I sit down to watch the final hour of the countdown, followed (I hope!) by a successful launch, there will be a bottle of Bushmills Millennium Malt whiskey (previously opened and tasted) sitting beside me, distilled in 1975, the year when I saw the last Apollo spacecraft being launched. I will not dare touch it until the Orion spacecraft is safely in orbit. I am not in the least superstitious, but...
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 56368 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 04-01-2026 11:51 AM
NASA video
We're sending astronauts around the Moon for the first time in 50 years. Come watch with us.
Headshot Member
Posts: 1471 From: Vancouver, WA, USA Registered: Feb 2012
posted 04-01-2026 01:33 PM
I may have missed it, but was the military-looking vehicle immediately following the AstroVan identified?
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 56368 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 04-01-2026 02:17 PM
That is the NASA Emergency Response Team. They followed the Astrovan during the shuttle years as well (at least, post 9/11).
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 56368 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 04-01-2026 04:34 PM
The weather is now 90 percent go.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 56368 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 04-01-2026 05:25 PM
New T-0 is 6:35 p.m. EDT.
issman1 Member
Posts: 1228 From: UK Registered: Apr 2005
posted 04-01-2026 06:09 PM
Great launch. May their journey and destination be safe and successful.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 56368 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 04-01-2026 06:26 PM
NASA video
This feed will provide continuous coverage of Artemis II mission activities with live commentary, beginning with tanking of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket at NASA's Kennedy Space Center and concluding with the recovery of the Orion Integrity spacecraft after splashdown.
Live coverage of Artemis II's launch and lunar flyby, as well as daily mission briefings, will also stream on this feed.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 56368 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 04-01-2026 06:39 PM
NASA video
Following the launch of Artemis II, the mission's astronauts are currently on their way to fly around the Moon and back in an approximately 10-day journey.
Delta7 Member
Posts: 1794 From: Bluffton IN USA Registered: Oct 2007
posted 04-02-2026 08:09 AM
One impressive facet of this mission that isn't being discussed a lot, is the fact that, if I'm not mistaken, the first time two crewed space missions have been operated and controlled simultaneously by the same agency. Two independent missions, two separate teams, two separate MCRs, within the same facility.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 56368 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 04-02-2026 09:43 AM
There were also space shuttle missions that flew separate from the International Space Station, such as STS-107 and STS-125, which were operated by separate MCC teams from the same facility.
SpaceAholic Member
Posts: 5563 From: Sierra Vista, Arizona Registered: Nov 1999
posted 04-02-2026 10:25 AM
Gemini-Titan 6/7 doesn't count?
onesmallstep Member
Posts: 1568 From: Staten Island, New York USA Registered: Nov 2007
posted 04-02-2026 11:51 AM
Also; the Soviets controlled two of their space missions simultaneously: Soyuz 18/Salyut 4 (May-July 1975; 62 days in space); and Soyuz 19/ASTP (July 15-21, 1975).
Headshot Member
Posts: 1471 From: Vancouver, WA, USA Registered: Feb 2012
posted 04-02-2026 11:55 AM
Excellent point about Gemini 7/6. One of the stumbling blocks for conducting the 7/6 mission was the MRC. There was not enough room for two Gemini teams, but the old Mercury MCR was available and pressed into service.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 56368 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 04-02-2026 12:11 PM
The original remark was about independent missions. While Gemini 7 became an independent mission after the rendezvous, I would say that the two were flying a joint mission while in space together.
Blackarrow Member
Posts: 3953 From: Belfast, United Kingdom Registered: Feb 2002
posted 04-02-2026 04:41 PM
As an avid space fan in 1972, I followed every aspect of Apollo 17: keeping newspaper cuttings, recording parts of the mission on audio tape, begging NASA for pictures and information. I ate, drank and breathed Apollo 17, because I knew I probably wouldn't see its like for at least a couple of decades.
I never in my worst nightmares could have believed it would take nearly 54 years for anyone to return to the Moon. But here we are with Artemis II. Hardly the equal of Apollo 17, but it's a start.
I found the countdown and launch gripping, restoring some of the visceral thrill that I always associated with an Apollo lunar launch. As I type this, it's actually premature to call Artemis II a "moon mission" but assuming TLI proceeds successfully, we may think of this mission as a first down-payment on what Gene Cernan called "man's destiny of tomorrow."
Blackarrow Member
Posts: 3953 From: Belfast, United Kingdom Registered: Feb 2002
posted 04-02-2026 07:06 PM
NOW it's a Moon mission!
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 56368 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 04-02-2026 07:30 PM
NASA video
NASA leaders are providing status updates, answering media questions, and discussing mission activities for Flight Day 2.
Headshot Member
Posts: 1471 From: Vancouver, WA, USA Registered: Feb 2012
posted 04-02-2026 10:47 PM
Has NASA released any still pictures of the crew taken from inside Integrity?
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 56368 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 04-02-2026 11:07 PM
No, not yet and there may not be any until after they arrive home, depending on available bandwidth during the mission.
OV-105 Member
Posts: 948 From: Ridgecrest, CA Registered: Sep 2000
posted 04-03-2026 12:59 AM
Just like the old days, no photos until after splashdown. The TV has been better.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 56368 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 04-03-2026 10:48 AM
Amaze! Amaze! Amaze! Two photos have been shared by the Artemis II crew.
A view of Earth taken by NASA astronaut and Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman from one of the Orion spacecraft's four main windows after completing the translunar injection burn on April 2, 2026.
A view of Earth taken by NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman from one of the Orion spacecraft's window after completing the translunar injection burn on April 2, 2026. The image features two auroras (top right and bottom left) and zodiacal light (bottom right) is visible as the Earth eclipses the Sun.
Blackarrow Member
Posts: 3953 From: Belfast, United Kingdom Registered: Feb 2002
posted 04-03-2026 12:45 PM
Bearing in mind the sun is BEHIND Earth, is this a long-exposure image, or does the camera used have exceptional light-grasp, or is the illumination being provided by the nearly full Moon (or maybe "all of the above"?)
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 56368 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 04-03-2026 01:22 PM
The image was taken at 1/4 exposure with an ISO of 51200 (so, yes, the Nikon D5 performs exceptionally well in low light).
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 56368 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 04-03-2026 02:19 PM
NASA video
NASA leaders are providing status updates, answering media questions, and discussing mission activities for flight day 3.
Kite Member
Posts: 1224 From: Northampton UK Registered: Nov 2009
posted 04-03-2026 02:26 PM
Like Geoffrey (Blackarrow) I too never dreamed it would take this long to return to the Moon. So thrilled this is actually happening and watching the launch live on my collectSPACE link and then listening to the TLI, very early this morning here.
My thoughts are for Jim Lovell, who by only a few months missed this flight, Frank Borman and Bill Anders. Also Neil Armstrong and Gene Cernan who both campaigned, along with Lovell, to return to the Moon so passionately.
I wish this flight to be so successful and to lead on to the next steps in the programme.
I'm delighted that those who were too young to remember Apollo can now feel the thrill of going much further than low Earth orbit and hope they get as much enjoyment and satisfaction as I have from it.
Safe voyage Artemis II.
perineau Member
Posts: 433 From: FRANCE Registered: Jul 2007
posted 04-04-2026 06:25 AM
How close did Apollo 13 come to the lunar surface during their flight?
Axman Member
Posts: 915 From: Derbyshire UK Registered: Mar 2023
posted 04-04-2026 06:43 AM
I am struggling to make out which landmass (in the bottom left quadrant) features in the photo shown above. It looks like, in descending order of certitude - most likely Africa (Mauretania around to Nigeria); possibly China; and much less likely Australia. None of which would normally feature an aurora above them.
Does anyone have a definitive answer?
EDIT: Private correspondence tells me it is indeed North Africa. South is at the top, Iberia is off the coast towards the left bottom, and careful scrutiny reveals Brazil at the righthand side.
That increases my curiosity as to why an Aurora is above the Azores/Canaries.
star61 Member
Posts: 337 From: Bristol UK Registered: Jan 2005
posted 04-04-2026 10:20 AM
Certainly looks like straight of Gibraltar on the left. The lights match with Tangier in N Africa etc. Definitely a weird angle for us poor old groundhogs.
Blackarrow Member
Posts: 3953 From: Belfast, United Kingdom Registered: Feb 2002
posted 04-04-2026 10:34 AM
No upside-down in space!
GACspaceguy Member
Posts: 3303 From: Guyton, GA Registered: Jan 2006
posted 04-04-2026 12:22 PM
Dave Ginsberg Member
Posts: 236 From: Redmond, Washington, USA Registered: Dec 2007
posted 04-04-2026 12:47 PM
I find it quite symbolic that the first Earth photo released from Artemis II shows the same hemisphere, centered off the west coast of Africa, as is seen in Apollo 8’s Earthrise photo.
Headshot Member
Posts: 1471 From: Vancouver, WA, USA Registered: Feb 2012
posted 04-04-2026 12:59 PM
This is an FYI.
At least one amateur astronomer has tracked and photographed Integrity/Orion from the ground. Here is a link:
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 56368 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 04-04-2026 01:00 PM
New photos release:
CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen – in the center of the image – peers out the window of the Orion spacecraft on day 3 of NASA's Artemis II mission. The controls over the commander and pilot seats are illuminated in the foreground, but the cabin is otherwise dark to avoid unnecessary glares on the windows.
NASA astronaut Christina Koch is illuminated by a screen inside the darkened Orion spacecraft on the third day of the agency's Artemis II mission. To the right of the image's center, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen is seen in profile peering out of one of Orion's windows. Lights are turned off to avoid glare on the windows.
A view of Earth taken by NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman from one of the Orion spacecraft's four windows after completing the translunar injection burn on April 2, 2026.
A view of a backlit Earth taken by NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman from one of the Orion spacecraft's window after completing the translunar injection burn on April 2, 2026.
A view of the Moon taken by an Artemis II crewmember through the window of the Orion spacecraft on the third day of the mission. The image includes a portion of the Orientale basin (far left), a first for humans and human eyes. Until today, only robotic imagers have seen this region of our Moon.
An illuminated sliver of Earth set against the blackness of space is seen through the window of the Orion spacecraft in this photograph from the Artemis II crew on the third day of their journey to the Moon.
A sliver of Earth is illuminated against the blackness of space in this photo taken by an Artemis II crew member through an Orion spacecraft window on the third day of the mission.
Higher resolution stills from a video camera mounted on the end of a solar array:
The Artemis II crew is en route to the Moon on the second flight day of the mission. This photo shows the Orion spacecraft with the Moon in the distance, as captured by a camera on the tip of one of its solar array wings.
The Artemis II crew is en route to the Moon on the second flight day of the mission. This photo shows the Orion spacecraft with the Moon in the distance, as captured by a camera on the tip of one of its solar array wings.
Orion snapped this high-resolution selfie in space with a camera mounted on one of its solar array wings during a routine external inspection of the spacecraft on the second day into the Artemis II mission.
posted 03-30-2026 04:11 PM
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