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Credits: ESA/Hubble & NASA, M. J. Koss, A. J. Barth A luminous swirl set against the deep ****** of space, the barred spiral galaxy IC 486 glows with a soft, ethereal light in this new NASA Hubble Space Telescope image. IC 486 lies right on the edge of the constellation Gemini (the Twins), around 380 million light-years from Earth. Classified as a barred spiral galaxy, it features a bright central bar-shaped structure from which its spiral arms unfurl, wrapping around the core in a smooth, almost ring-like pattern. Hubble’s keen eye reveals subtle variations in color across the galaxy. The pale, luminous center is dominated by older stars, while faint bluish regions in the surrounding disk trace pockets of more recent star formation. Wisps of dust thread through the galaxy’s structure, gently obscuring light and tracing regions of increased molecular gas where new stars are likely to form. The barred spiral galaxy IC 486 glows with a soft, ethereal light in this new NASA Hubble Space Telescope image. ESA/Hubble & NASA, M. J. Koss, A. J. Barth At the galaxy’s center a noticeable white glow outshines the starlight around it. This is light from IC 486’s active galactic nucleus (AGN), which is powered by a supermassive ****** hole more than 100 million times the mass of the Sun. Every sufficiently large galaxy hosts a supermassive ****** hole at its center, but some of these ****** holes are particularly ravenous, assembling vast amounts of gas and dust into swirling accretion disks from which they feed. The intense heat generated by the orbiting disk of material generates intense radiation, including X-rays, which can outshine the entire rest of the galaxy. In these cases, the galaxy is known as an active galaxy, with an AGN at its center. The data used to make this image comes from two separate observing programs — #17310 (PI: M. J. Koss) and #15444 (PI: A. J. Barth) — with similar aims: to survey nearby active galaxies like IC 486 and record detailed, high-quality images of their central ****** holes and the stars near the core of the galaxy. By combining Hubble’s sharp imaging capabilities with large comprehensive samples, these programs enable detailed comparisons of how stars, gas, dust, and ****** holes interact in galaxy centers. This wide-field view of the spiral galaxy IC 486 from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope features a vibrant scene of distant background galaxies and foreground stars. Some stars appear with characteristic diffraction spikes. However, much of the field is dominated by the more diffuse, orange-red smudges of far more distant galaxies. ESA/Hubble & NASA, M. J. Koss, A. J. Barth A key goal of this work is to understand how galaxies grow by linking their large-scale structures, such as bars and spiral arms, to activity in their nuclei. To achieve this, the research teams leverage both expert classifications and citizen science through Galaxy Zoo, with datasets they will ultimately release to the public. In parallel, researchers are using the same images to test how well large language models and other machine learning techniques can reproduce or extend human classifications, offering a new way to scale galaxy morphology studies to the largest surveys that telescopes like Euclid and the Vera Rubin Observatory are preforming, and NASA’s Roman Space Telescope will perform. Beyond IC 486, distant background galaxies and foreground stars pepper the image. Some stars appear with characteristic diffraction spikes, while the more diffuse, reddish smudges are far more distant galaxies scattered across the cosmos. Though it may appear calm and orderly, IC 486 is a dynamic system shaped by gravity and stellar evolution. Over millions of years, its structure will continue to evolve as stars are born, age, and fade, contributing to the ongoing story of galactic life in the universe. Facebook logo @NASAHubble @NASAHubble Instagram logo @NASAHubble Media Contact: Claire Andreoli NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD *****@*****.tld Share Details Last Updated Apr 13, 2026 Editor Andrea Gianopoulos Location NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Related Terms Hubble Space Telescope Astrophysics Astrophysics Division Galaxies Goddard Space Flight Center Spiral Galaxies The Universe Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From Hubble Hubble Space Telescope Since its 1990 launch, the Hubble Space Telescope has changed our fundamental understanding of the universe. Hubble Images Hubble’s Galaxies Hubble News View the full article

La nave espacial Orion de la NASA, **** los tripulantes de la misión Artemis II —los astronautas de la NASA Reid Wiseman, comandante; Victor Glover, piloto; Christina Koch, especialista de misión; y el astronauta de la CSA (Agencia Espacial Canadiense) Jeremy Hansen, especialista de misión— a bordo, retratada al amerizar a las 5:07 p.m. PDT (hora del Pacífico) en el océano Pacífico, frente a la costa de California, el viernes 10 de abril de 2026. La misión Artemis II de la NASA llevó a Wiseman, Glover, Koch y Hansen en una travesía de 10 días alrededor de la Luna y de vuelta a la Tierra. NASA/Joel Kowsky Los primeros astronautas en viajar a la Luna en más de medio siglo han regresado a la Tierra tras una misión que ha establecido nuevos récords a bordo del vuelo de prueba Artemis II de la NASA. Los astronautas de la NASA Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover y Christina Koch, y el astronauta Jeremy Hansen de la CSA (Agencia Espacial Canadiense) amerizaron a las 5:07 p.m. PDT (hora del Pacífico) de este viernes frente a la costa de San Diego, completando un viaje de casi 10 días que los llevó a una distancia máxima de 406.771 kilómetros (252.756 millas) de la Tierra. “Reid, Victor, Christina y Jeremy: bienvenidos a casa y felicitaciones por un logro verdaderamente histórico. La NASA agradece al presidente Donald Trump y a sus aliados en el Congreso por proporcionar el mandato y los recursos que hicieron posible esta misión y el futuro de Artemis”, dijo el administrador de la NASA, Jared Isaacman. “Artemis II demostró una habilidad, valentía y dedicación extraordinarias a medida que la tripulación llevaba a Orion, al Sistema de Lanzamiento Espacial [SLS, por sus siglas en inglés] y a la exploración humana más lejos que nunca. Al ser los primeros astronautas en volar en este cohete y en esta nave espacial, la tripulación aceptó un riesgo considerable al servicio del conocimiento adquirido y el futuro que estamos decididos a construir. La NASA también reconoce las contribuciones de toda la fuerza laboral de esta agencia, así como la de nuestros socios internacionales, cuya pericia y compromiso fueron esenciales para el éxito de esta misión. **** la misión Artemis II completada, la atención se centra ahora **** confianza en el ensamblaje de Artemis III y en los preparativos para regresar a la superficie lunar, establecer una base y no volver a abandonar la Luna jamás”. Después de su amerizaje en el océano Pacífico, los astronautas fueron recibidos por un equipo combinado de la NASA y el ejército de Estados Unidos, que los asistió para salir de la nave espacial en mar abierto y los transportó en helicóptero hasta el buque USS John P. Murtha para someterse a exámenes médicos iniciales. Se espera que los miembros de la tripulación regresen al Centro Espacial Johnson de la NASA en Houston el sábado 11 de abril. Durante su misión, Wiseman, Glover, Koch y Hansen recorrieron un total de 1.117.659 kilómetros (694.481 millas). Su sobrevuelo lunar los llevó más lejos de lo que jamás han viajado antes los seres humanos, superando el récord de la distancia anterior establecido por los astronautas del Apolo 13 en 1970. La primera tripulación de Artemis despegó a bordo del cohete SLS de la NASA a las 6:35 p.m. del 1 de abril, desde la plataforma de lanzamiento 39B en el Centro Espacial Kennedy de la agencia en Florida. **** casi cuatro millones de kilogramos (8,8 millones de libras) de empuje en el momento del despegue, el cohete de fabricación estadounidense impulsó hacia el espacio a la tripulación ubicada dentro de la nave espacial Orion, situándola en órbita **** una precisión milimétrica después de una cuenta regresiva sin contratiempos, dirigida por el equipo de control de lanzamiento de Artemis de la agencia. Durante el primer día en el espacio, los astronautas y los equipos en tierra inspeccionaron la nave espacial —a la que la tripulación ha dado el nombre de Integrity (Integridad en español)— para confirmar que todos los sistemas funcionaban correctamente antes de hacer el tránsito hacia la Luna. La NASA también desplegó en la órbita terrestre cuatro pequeños satélites CubeSat de sus socios internacionales. En el segundo día del vuelo de prueba, **** todos los sistemas listos (“Go” en el argot astronáutico), el módulo de servicio de Orion encendió su motor principal, situando a los astronautas en una trayectoria que los llevó a 6.545 kilómetros (4.067 millas) por encima de la superficie lunar en su aproximación más cercana. “La tripulación de Artemis II ya está en casa. Los sistemas de reentrada, descenso y aterrizaje funcionaron tal como fueron diseñados, y la prueba final se completó según lo previsto. Este momento pertenece a las miles de personas, de catorce países distintos, que construyeron este vehículo, lo sometieron a pruebas y depositaron su confianza en él. Su trabajo protegió cuatro vidas humanas que viajaban a 40.233 kilómetros (25.000 millas) por hora, y las trajo de regreso a la Tierra sanas y salvas”, dijo Amit Kshatriya, administrador asociado de la NASA. “Artemis II ha validado el vehículo, los equipos, la arquitectura y la colaboración internacional que llevarán de nuevo a la humanidad a la superficie lunar. Reid, Victor, Christina y Jeremy llevaron las esperanzas de este mundo más lejos de lo que los seres humanos han viajado en más de medio siglo. Hace 53 años, la humanidad dejó la Luna. Esta vez, hemos regresado para quedarnos. El futuro es nuestro para conquistarlo”. **** astronautas a bordo por primera vez, los ingenieros sometieron a Orion a una evaluación completa durante el vuelo. La tripulación puso a prueba los sistemas de soporte vital de la nave espacial, confirmando que Orion es capaz de dar sustento a seres humanos en el espacio profundo. Durante varias demostraciones de pilotaje, los miembros de la tripulación tomaron el control manual de la astronave, pilotando a Orion para validar su maniobrabilidad y recopilar datos que servirán de guía para futuras operaciones de encuentro y acoplamiento **** módulos de aterrizaje aptos para llevar tripulación durante la misión Artemis III y otras misiones futuras. La tripulación completó una serie de pruebas que servirán de orientación para la forma en que la NASA llevará a ***** futuras misiones a la Luna. Entre estas pruebas se incluyeron evaluaciones sobre el funcionamiento de la nave espacial durante los ejercicios de la tripulación, el equipo y los procedimientos de emergencia, los trajes espaciales del sistema de supervivencia de la tripulación de Orion y otros sistemas críticos de la nave. Wiseman, Glover, Koch y Hansen también respaldaron investigaciones científicas destinadas a ayudar a la NASA a preparar a los astronautas para vivir y trabajar en la Luna, a medida que la agencia construye una base lunar y fija su mirada en Marte. Estos experimentos —entre los que se incluye la investigación AVATAR, la cual estudia cómo responde el tejido humano a la microgravedad y al entorno de radiación del espacio profundo, así como otros estudios de investigación sobre los seres humanos y su desempeño—recopilan datos esenciales sobre la salud para misiones de larga duración. Durante su sobrevuelo lunar del 6 de abril, los astronautas capturaron más de 7.000 imágenes de la superficie lunar y de un eclipse solar, durante el cual la Luna ocultó al Sol desde el punto de observación de Orion. Las imágenes incluyen vistas impresionantes de la puesta y la salida de la Tierra, cráteres de impacto, antiguos flujos de lava, nuestra galaxia, la Vía Láctea, así como de fracturas en la superficie y variaciones de color a lo largo del terreno lunar. La tripulación documentó la topografía a lo largo del terminador —el límite entre el día y la noche lunares—, donde la luz solar rasante (de ángulo cerrado) proyecta largas sombras sobre la superficie, creando condiciones de iluminación similares a las de la región del Polo Sur, donde está previsto que alunicen los astronautas en 2028. Los astronautas también propusieron posibles nombres para dos cráteres lunares, e informaron sobre destellos de impactos de meteoroides en el lado de la Luna a oscuras. Las investigaciones científicas de Artemis II allanarán el camino para futuras misiones a la superficie de la Luna, al contribuir al avance de las operaciones de misiones y capacitar a los astronautas para ejercer un juicio fundamentado a fin de identificar áreas de gran interés para la ciencia y la exploración. **** la tripulación a salvo en la Tierra, la NASA y sus socios ahora centrarán su atención en los preparativos para la misión Artemis III del próximo año, en la que una nueva tripulación a bordo de Orion pondrá a prueba las operaciones integradas **** módulos de aterrizaje lunar de fabricación comercial en la órbita terrestre baja. Como parte de una edad de oro de innovación y exploración, la NASA enviará a los astronautas del programa Artemis en misiones cada vez más desafiantes para explorar más regiones de la Luna para lograr descubrimientos científicos y beneficios económicos, establecer una presencia humana duradera en la superficie lunar y sentar las bases para enviar a los primeros astronautas —astronautas estadounidenses— a Marte. Para obtener más información sobre el programa Artemis, visita : [Hidden Content] (en inglés) [Hidden Content] (en español) -fin- Bethany Stevens / Rachel Kraft / María José Viñas Sede central de la NASA, Washington 202-358-1600 *****@*****.tld / rachel.h*****@*****.tld / *****@*****.tld Share Details Last Updated Apr 11, 2026 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsNASA en español View the full article

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft launches atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on April 11, 2026 to the International Space Station.NASA+ NASA is sending more science, technology demonstrations, and crew supplies to the International Space Station following the successful launch of the agency’s Northrop Grumman Commercial Resupply Services 24 mission, or Northrop Grumman CRS-24. Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL spacecraft, carrying approximately 11,000 pounds of cargo to the orbiting laboratory, lifted off at 7:41 a.m. EDT Saturday on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Watch live coverage of the spacecraft’s arrival to the space station beginning at 12 p.m. on Monday, April 13, on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of online platforms, including social media. Cygnus XL is scheduled to be captured at 12:50 p.m. by the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm, operated by NASA astronauts Jack Hathaway and Chris Williams. After capture, the spacecraft will be installed on the Unity module’s Earth-facing port for cargo unloading. NASA’s arrival and capture coverage is as follows (all times Eastern and subject to change based on real-time operations): Monday, April 13 12 p.m. – Arrival coverage begins on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel. 12:50 p.m. – Capture of Cygnus XL with the space station’s robotic arm. The resupply mission is carrying dozens of research experiments that will be conducted during Expedition 74/75, including a new module to advance quantum science that could improve computing technology and aid in the search for dark matter, and hardware to produce a greater number of therapeutic stem cells for blood diseases and *******. Cygnus also carries model organisms to study the gut microbiome and a receiver that could enhance space weather models to protect critical space infrastructure, such as GPS and radar. These experiments are just some of the hundreds of scientific investigations conducted aboard the orbiting laboratory in the areas of biology and biotechnology, Earth and space science, physical sciences, and technology development and demonstrations. Cygnus XL is scheduled to remain at the orbiting laboratory until October, before it departs and disposes of thousands of pounds of trash through its re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere, where it will harmlessly burn up. Northrop Grumman named the spacecraft the S.S. Steven R. Nagel in honor of the former NASA astronaut who flew four space shuttle missions, commanded the Gamma Ray Observatory deployment, and logged 723 hours in space. Learn more about this NASA commercial resupply mission at: [Hidden Content] -end- Josh Finch Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1100 *****@*****.tld Amanda Griffin Kennedy Space Center, Fla. 321-876-2468 *****@*****.tld Sandra Jones Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 sandra.p*****@*****.tld Share Details Last Updated Apr 11, 2026 EditorJennifer M. DoorenLocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsInternational Space Station (ISS)Commercial ResupplyISS ResearchNorthrop Grumman Commercial Resupply View the full article

NASA/Bill Ingalls This image from April 10, 2026, captures NASA’s Orion spacecraft, with its parachutes deployed, seconds before splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. The Artemis II crew accomplished many milestones on their nearly 10-day mission, surpassing the Apollo 13 record for farthest crewed spaceflight and capturing views of the far side of the Moon. Under Artemis, NASA will send 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. See more photos from the mission. (Link to [Hidden Content]) View the full article

NASA’s Orion spacecraft with Artemis II crewmembers NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, commander; Victor Glover, pilot; Christina Koch, mission specialist; and CSA (********* Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist aboard was seen as it splashed down at 5:07 p.m. PDT in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California, Friday, April 10, 2026. NASA’s Artemis II mission took Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen on a 10-day journey around the Moon and back to Earth. Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky The first astronauts to travel to the Moon in more than half a century are back on Earth after a record-setting mission aboard NASA’s Artemis II test flight. NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (********* Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen splashed down at 5:07 p.m. PDT Friday off the coast of San Diego, completing a nearly 10-day journey that took them 252,756 miles from home at their farthest distance from Earth. “Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy, welcome home, and congratulations on a truly historic achievement. NASA is grateful to President Donald Trump and partners in Congress for providing the mandate and resources that made this mission and the future of Artemis possible,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “Artemis II demonstrated extraordinary skill, courage, and dedication as the crew pushed Orion, SLS (Space Launch System), and human exploration farther than ever before. As the first astronauts to fly this rocket and spacecraft, the crew accepted significant risk in service of the knowledge gained and the future we are determined to build. NASA also acknowledges the contributions of the entire NASA workforce, along with our international partners, whose expertise and commitment were essential to this mission’s success. With Artemis II complete, focus now turns confidently toward assembling Artemis III and preparing to return to the lunar surface, build the base, and never give up the Moon again.” After splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, the astronauts were met by a combined NASA and U.S. military team that assisted them out of the spacecraft in open water and transported them via helicopter to the USS John P. Murtha for initial medical checkouts. The crew members are expected to return to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on Saturday, April 11. During their mission, Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen flew 694,481 miles in total. Their lunar flyby took them farther than any humans have ever traveled before, surpassing the previous distance record set by Apollo 13 astronauts in 1970. The first Artemis crew launched on NASA’s SLS rocket at 6:35 p.m. April 1, from Launch Pad 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. With 8.8 million pounds of thrust at liftoff, the American-built rocket propelled the crew inside the Orion spacecraft to space, delivering it to orbit with pinpoint accuracy after a smooth countdown conducted by the agency’s Artemis launch control team. During the first day in space, the astronauts and teams on the ground checked out the spacecraft — named Integrity by the crew — to confirm all systems were healthy ahead of the transit to the Moon. NASA also deployed four CubeSats from international partners to Earth orbit. On the second day of the test flight, with all systems Go, Orion’s service module fired its main engine, placing the astronauts on a trajectory that brought them 4,067 miles above the lunar surface at their closest approach. “The Artemis II crew is home. The entry, descent, and landing systems performed as designed and the final test was completed as intended. This moment belongs to the thousands of people across fourteen countries who built, tested, and trusted this vehicle. Their work protected four human lives traveling at 25,000 miles per hour and brought them safely back to Earth,” said NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya. “Artemis II proved the vehicle, the teams, the architecture, and the international partnership that will return humanity to the lunar surface. Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy carried the hopes of this world farther than humans have traveled in more than half a century. Fifty‑three years ago, humanity left the Moon. This time, we returned to stay. The future is ours to win.” With astronauts aboard for the first time, engineers put Orion through a full in‑flight evaluation. The crew tested the spacecraft’s life support systems, confirming Orion can sustain humans in deep space. During several piloting demonstrations, crew members took manual control of the spacecraft, flying Orion to validate its handling and collect data that will guide future rendezvous and docking operations with human-rated landers during Artemis III and beyond. The crew completed a series of tests to inform how NASA will fly future missions to the Moon, including evaluations of how the spacecraft operates during crew exercise, emergency equipment and procedures, the Orion crew survival system spacesuits, and other critical spacecraft systems. Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen also supported scientific investigations to help NASA prepare astronauts to live and work on the Moon as the agency builds a Moon Base and looks toward Mars. These experiments — including the AVATAR investigation, which studies how human tissue responds to microgravity and the deep space radiation environment, and other human research performance studies — are gathering essential health data for long-duration missions. During their April 6 lunar flyby, the astronauts captured more than 7,000 images of the lunar surface and a solar eclipse, during which the Moon blocked the Sun from Orion’s vantage point. The imagery includes striking views of earthset and earthrise, impact craters, ancient lava flows, our Milky Way galaxy, and surface fractures and color variations across the lunar terrain. They documented the topography along the terminator — the boundary between lunar day and night — where low-angle sunlight casts long shadows across the surface, creating illumination conditions similar to those in the South Pole region where astronauts are scheduled to land in 2028. The crew also proposed potential names for two lunar craters and reported meteoroid impact flashes on the night side of the Moon. Artemis II science will pave the way for future missions to the Moon’s surface by helping advance mission operations and training astronauts to use well-informed judgment to identify areas of high interest for science and exploration. With the crew safely on Earth, NASA and its partners now will turn attention to preparing for next year’s Artemis III mission, when a new Orion crew will test integrated operations with commercially built Moon landers in low Earth orbit. As part of a Golden Age of innovation and exploration, NASA will send Artemis astronauts on increasingly challenging missions to explore more of the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, establish an enduring human presence on the lunar surface, and lay the groundwork for sending the first astronauts – American astronauts – to Mars. To learn more about the Artemis program, visit: [Hidden Content] -end- Bethany Stevens / Rachel Kraft Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 *****@*****.tld / rachel.h*****@*****.tld Share Details Last Updated Apr 10, 2026 EditorJennifer M. DoorenLocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsHumans in SpaceArtemis 2Earth's MoonExploration Systems Development Mission DirectorateMissionsOrion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle View the full article

NASA Seen during Artemis II’s lunar flyby on April 6, 2026, 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 astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, and Victor Glover, and CSA (********* Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen are set to return to Earth, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean around 8:07 p.m. EDT. Watch their return with NASA. Image credit: NASA View the full article

Earth Observatory Science Earth Observatory Earthset From the Lunar Far Side Earth Earth Observatory Image of the Day EO Explorer Topics All Topics Atmosphere Land Heat & Radiation Life on Earth Human Dimensions Natural Events Oceans Remote Sensing Technology Snow & Ice Water More Content Collections Global Maps World of Change Articles Notes from the Field Blog Earth Matters Blog Blue Marble: Next Generation EO Kids Mission: Biomes About About Us Subscribe 🛜 RSS Contact Us Search April 6, 2026 NASA’s Artemis II mission will conclude its 10-day journey around the Moon on April 10, 2026, when the crew splashes down off the California coast. While additional imagery will continue to be processed after their return, the astronauts have already delivered a remarkable collection of photos. Among them is a shot of Earthset, echoing the iconic Earthrise photos taken by Apollo 8 astronauts in 1968. During an Earthset, the planet appears to sink below the lunar horizon. In this scene, a partially lit crescent Earth drops behind the Moon as seen by crew on the Orion spacecraft. The Earth’s sunlit side shows white clouds and blue water over the Oceania region, while the dark areas are experiencing nighttime. The image also shows incredible detail of the Moon’s surface and its overlapping craters and basins. The image was taken at 6:41 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on April 6, 2026, as the Artemis II astronauts passed behind the Moon’s far side. It is one of many photos taken during the seven-hour flyby, including images of a total solar eclipse, the light from several planetary neighbors, and the long shadows cast along the terminator line where lunar day meets night. More images from the historic flyby can be viewed in the Artemis II lunar flyby gallery, and other mission photos and resources are available on the mission’s multimedia page. Past views of Earth from afar can be found in this collection from NASA Earth Observatory. Image by NASA. Text by Kathryn Hansen, adapted from NASA resources. Downloads April 6, 2026 JPEG (1.13 MB) References & Resources NASA (2026, April 7) Artemis II Lunar Flyby. Accessed April 9, 2026. NASA (2026, April 4) NASA Answers Your Most Pressing Artemis II Questions. Accessed April 9, 2026. NASA (2026, April) Artemis II Multimedia. Accessed April 9, 2026. NASA (2026) Artemis II. Accessed April 9, 2026. You may also be interested in: Stay up-to-date with the latest content from NASA as we explore the universe and discover more about our home planet. Shades of a Lunar Eclipse 3 min read A series of nighttime satellite images revealed how moonlight reaching Earth varied throughout a total lunar eclipse. Article City Lights Glow Along Moonlit Waters 3 min read An astronaut photographed moonglint shimmering across the sea surface and the bright clusters of Florida’s cities at night. Article The Galaxy Next Door 3 min read The Large Magellanic Cloud—one of our closest neighboring galaxies—is a hotbed of star formation that is visible to both astronauts… Article 1 2 3 4 Next Keep Exploring Discover More from NASA Earth Science Subscribe to Earth Observatory Newsletters Subscribe to the Earth Observatory and get the Earth in your inbox. Earth Observatory Image of the Day NASA’s Earth Observatory brings you the Earth, every day, with in-depth stories and stunning imagery. Explore Earth Science Earth Science Data Open access to NASA’s archive of Earth science data View the full article

Windshaper Windshaper fan array for dynamic low-speed and hovering flight research.NASA/John Melton A large WindShaper fan array is available for dynamic low-speed and hovering flight research. The WindShaper is ideal for generating arbitrary wind gradients and wind gusts via a simple Python API. A companion WindProbe is also available for quick surveys of flows. The WindProbe utilizes the lab’s OptiTrack motion capture system to extract the position and orientation of the 5-hole cone probe located on the probe tip. Large dynamic fan array: 9’x7’, 1134 fans arranged as 567 ‘wind pixels’ Wind speeds: 0 to 16 m/s (0 to 36 mph/31 kts) Acceleration: 4 m/s2, Deceleration: 2.5 m/s2 Each fan is programmable via Python scripting Replicates steady winds, gusts, and wind gradients WindProbe for handheld mobile wind data collection. WindShaperView the full article

3 Min Read I Am Artemis: Dan Florez Listen to this audio excerpt from Dan Florez, test director for NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program: 0:00 / 0:00 Your browser does not support the audio element. At 1:47 a.m. EST November 16, 2022, as the Artemis I engines ignited, NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman and Dan Florez, NASA test director for the agency’s Exploration Ground Systems, watched from Kennedy’s Launch Control Center roof as the midnight sky turned bright as daylight, the crackle and roar of launch vibrating through them. Little did they know, one of them soon would be the Artemis II commander, and the other would be an important figure in bringing the mission home safely. Florez is one of the NASA test directors for the Exploration Ground Systems Program. The test directors are a group of 20 engineers at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida who plan and execute integrated testing for Artemis missions. Their work includes developing timelines and procedures for launch countdown, propellant loading, emergency egress, pad and launch abort scenarios, recovery operations, and more. They help lead the ground systems team in all areas of testing. Members of the Artemis launch team participate in an Artemis II launch countdown simulation inside Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday, May 8, 2025. NASA/Frank Michaux At the time of Artemis I launch, Florez and his fellow test directors had already developed the launch countdown timelines for Artemis II. “We were really focused on loading that spacecraft with cryogenic propellants and successfully launching it. With Artemis II, we’re going to have to do all that again, but in the middle of that, we’re going to have to embed the crew timeline to get the crew safely inside the spacecraft, get all the systems checked out, and launch them into space,” Florez said. “And we have to do the same thing on the tail end through recovery. So, there’s a lot of complexities when you have the human element thrown into the operation.” Since Artemis I, Florez has focused his work even more heavily on the human element, taking on rescue and recovery operations. A wave breaks inside the well deck of USS Somerset as teams work to recover the Crew Module Test Article (CMTA), a full scale replica of the Orion spacecraft, as they practice Artemis recovery operations during Underway Recovery Test-12 off the coast of California, Thursday, March 27, 2025. NASA/Joel Kowsky “We have to have a plan to go get to the crew if we have an abort, if we land anywhere in the world within 24 hours,” said Florez. “My role right now is to do a lot of that coordination to make sure we have all the assets and all the resources in place to get to the crew.” When the Artemis II crew returns to Earth aboard the Orion spacecraft, Florez will be there, prepared and ready with NASA’s Landing and Recovery Team and the U.S. military. We have a great partnership with the military. We have the Human Spaceflight Support Office within the Air Force that support us directly for not just for recovery operations, but also for any of the rescue operations. Dan Florez NASA Test Director, Exploration Ground Systems Program Recovery operations are routinely verified and validated in what is called an underway recovery test. NASA and Navy teams board a U.S. Navy ship and travel off the coast of San Diego to test retrieving the capsule and getting the crew safely on the ship. In late February 2024, the Artemis II crew joined the recovery team’s eleventh iteration of testing called, URT-11. “It was really great to have that perspective of having astronauts in the loop during our test operations,” said Florez. “Everywhere along the way, we got feedback from them.” Artemis II launched at 6:35 p.m. EDT April 1, from Launch Complex 39B, sending NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (********* Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, on their approximately 10-day mission around the Moon. Florez and his colleagues are prepared and ready to apply everything they tested to recover the crew. Watching them launch is going to be great. I'm going to be happier when they land. Dan Florez NASA Test Director, Exploration Ground Systems Program About the AuthorNASA Communications Share Details Last Updated Apr 09, 2026 Related TermsArtemisArtemis 2Exploration Ground SystemsI Am ArtemisKennedy Space CenterOrion Multi-Purpose Crew VehicleSpace Launch System (SLS) Explore More 1 min read Watching the Artemis II Mission Unfold at JPL’s Space Flight Operations Facility Description Staff at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California watch the agency’s Artemis II… Article 3 hours ago 2 min read The Deep Space Network Acquires Artemis II Signal Description A graphical representation of the Deep Space Network’s radio frequency antennas indicate signal acquisition… Article 3 hours ago 2 min read The Deep Space Network Acquires Artemis II Signal Description The acquisition of the radio frequency signal from the Artemis II crewed mission to… Article 3 hours ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

WindShaper A large WindShaper fan array is available for dynamic low-speed and hovering flight research. The WindShaper is ideal for generating arbitrary wind gradients and wind gusts via a simple Python API. A companion WindProbe is also available for quick surveys of flows. The WindProbe utilizes the lab’s OptiTrack motion capture system to extract the position and orientation of the 5-hole cone probe located on the probe tip. Windshaper fan array for dynamic low-speed and hovering flight research.NASA/John Melton •Large dynamic fan array: 9’x7’, 1134 fans arranged as 567 ‘wind pixels’ •Wind speeds: 0 to 16 m/s (0 to 36 mph/31 kts) •Acceleration: 4 m/s2, Deceleration: 2.5 m/s2 •Each fan is programmable via Python scripting •Replicates steady winds, gusts, and wind gradients WindProbe for handheld mobile wind data collection. WindShaperView the full article

A stunning snapshot in time. The Artemis II crew captured this breathtaking photo of our galaxy, the Milky Way.NASA The Artemis II crew captured this photo of our galaxy, the Milky Way, on April 7, 2026. 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. See more photos from the mission. Image credit: NASA View the full article

1 Min Read Watching the Artemis II Mission Unfold at JPL’s Space Flight Operations Facility PIA26747 Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech Photojournal Navigation Science Photojournal Watching the Artemis II… Photojournal Home Photojournal Search Latest Content Galleries Feedback RSS About Downloads Watching the Artemis II Mission Unfold at JPL’s Space Flight Operations Facility JPEG (66.13 MB) Description Staff at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California watch the agency’s Artemis II mission unfold soon after launch on April 1, 2026, at the Space Flight Operations Facility, which operates the Deep Space Network (DSN). The DSN comprises of three complexes in Goldstone, California; Madrid, Spain; and Canberra, Australia. Each complex has several radio frequency antennas that communicate with dozens of spacecraft exploring the solar system in addition to the crewed Artemis II mission. The DSN is managed by JPL for the agency’s Space Communications and Navigation program, which is located at NASA Headquarters within the Space Operations Mission Directorate. The DSN allows missions to track, send commands to, and receive scientific data from faraway spacecraft. JPL is managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California, for NASA. For more information about Artemis II, visit: [Hidden Content] Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From Photojournal Photojournal Search Photojournal Photojournal’s Latest Content Feedback View the full article

2 Min Read The Deep Space Network Acquires Artemis II Signal PIA26746 Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech Photojournal Navigation Science Photojournal The Deep Space Network… Photojournal Home Photojournal Search Latest Content Galleries Feedback RSS About Downloads The Deep Space Network Acquires Artemis II Signal JPEG (62.03 MB) Description A graphical representation of the Deep Space Network’s radio frequency antennas indicate signal acquisition from NASA’s Artemis II mission to the Moon on April 1, 2026, inside the Space Flight Operations Facility at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. Two antennas at the Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex, Deep Space Station 54 and 56, can be seen communicating with Artemis II (the signals are labelled “EM2”, short for “Exploration Mission 2”; elsewhere they are labelled “ART2” for “Artemis II”). A similar visualization can be found at DSN Now, which details all the missions that the network is communicating with 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Space Flight Operations Facility operates the DSN, which comprises of three complexes in Goldstone, California; Madrid, Spain; and Canberra, Australia. Each complex consists of several radio frequency antennas that communicate with dozens of spacecraft exploring the solar system in addition to the Artemis II mission. The DSN is managed by JPL for the agency’s Space Communications and Navigation program, which is located at NASA Headquarters within the Space Operations Mission Directorate. The DSN allows missions to track, send commands to, and receive scientific data from faraway spacecraft. JPL is managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California, for NASA. For more information about Artemis II, visit: [Hidden Content] Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From Photojournal Photojournal Search Photojournal Photojournal’s Latest Content Feedback View the full article

2 Min Read The Deep Space Network Acquires Artemis II Signal PIA26745 Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech Photojournal Navigation Science Photojournal The Deep Space Network… Photojournal Home Photojournal Search Latest Content Galleries Feedback RSS About Downloads The Deep Space Network Acquires Artemis II Signal JPEG (66.25 MB) Description The acquisition of the radio frequency signal from the Artemis II crewed mission to the Moon by NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN) is indicated by the peak in the data signal shown on the top computer screen. Soon after the mission’s launch on April 1, 2026, at 6:35 p.m. EDT, NASA’s Near Space Network led communications with the Orion capsule. Then, communications were handed off to the DSN, marking the first time in over 50 years that the network would be communicating with a crewed spacecraft traveling through deep space. The Space Flight Operations Facility at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California (where this photo was taken) operates the DSN, which comprises three complexes in Goldstone, California; Madrid, Spain; and Canberra, Australia. Each complex consists of several radio frequency antennas that communicate with dozens of robotic spacecraft exploring the solar system in addition to the Artemis II mission. The DSN is managed by JPL for the agency’s Space Communications and Navigation program, which is located at NASA Headquarters within the Space Operations Mission Directorate. The DSN allows missions to track, send commands to, and receive scientific data from faraway spacecraft. JPL is managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California, for NASA. For more information about Artemis II, visit: [Hidden Content] Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From Photojournal Photojournal Search Photojournal Photojournal’s Latest Content Feedback View the full article

1 Min Read Watching Over the Deep Space Network Before Artemis II Signal Acquisition PIA26744 Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech Photojournal Navigation Science Photojournal Watching Over the Deep Space… Photojournal Home Photojournal Search Latest Content Galleries Feedback RSS About Downloads Watching Over the Deep Space Network Before Artemis II Signal Acquisition JPEG (63.52 MB) Description Blanca Renteria, Artemis Deep Space Network (DSN) operations chief, monitors data at the Space Flight Operations Facility at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California shortly after Artemis II launched from the agency’s Kennedy Space Flight Center in Florida on April 1, 2026, at 6:35 p.m. EDT. The Space Flight Operations Facility operates the DSN, which comprises three complexes in Goldstone, California; Madrid, Spain; and Canberra, Australia. Each complex consists of several radio frequency antennas that communicate with dozens of robotic spacecraft exploring the solar system in addition to the crewed Artemis II mission. The DSN is managed by JPL for the agency’s Space Communications and Navigation program, which is located at NASA Headquarters within the Space Operations Mission Directorate. The DSN allows missions to track, send commands to, and receive scientific data from faraway spacecraft. JPL is managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California, for NASA. For more information about Artemis II, visit: [Hidden Content] Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From Photojournal Photojournal Search Photojournal Photojournal’s Latest Content Feedback View the full article

1 Min Read Watching the Artemis II Launch From JPL’s Space Flight Operations Facility PIA26743 Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech Photojournal Navigation Science Photojournal Watching the Artemis II Launch… Photojournal Home Photojournal Search Latest Content Galleries Feedback RSS About Downloads Watching the Artemis II Launch From JPL’s Space Flight Operations Facility JPEG (96.19 MB) Description Staff at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California watch the launch of the agency’s Artemis II mission to the Moon on April 1, 2026, at the Space Flight Operations Facility, which operates the Deep Space Network (DSN). Soon after launch, the Artemis II crew communicated with the Near Space Network while they were close to Earth. Later, communications were handed off to the DSN as the Orion capsule continued its journey into deep space. The DSN comprises three complexes in Goldstone, California; Madrid, Spain; and Canberra, Australia. Each complex has several radio frequency antennas that communicate with dozens of spacecraft exploring the solar system in addition to the Artemis II mission. The DSN is managed by JPL for the agency’s Space Communications and Navigation program, which is located at NASA Headquarters within the Space Operations Mission Directorate. The DSN allows missions to track, send commands to, and receive scientific data from faraway spacecraft. JPL is managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California, for NASA. For more information about Artemis II, visit: [Hidden Content] Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From Photojournal Photojournal Search Photojournal Photojournal’s Latest Content Feedback View the full article

1 Min Read JPL’s ‘Lucky Peanuts’ Before Artemis II Launch PIA26742 Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech Photojournal Navigation Science Photojournal JPL’s ‘Lucky Peanuts’… Photojournal Home Photojournal Search Latest Content Galleries Feedback RSS About Downloads JPL’s ‘Lucky Peanuts’ Before Artemis II Launch JPEG (67.09 MB) Description A container of “lucky peanuts” sits above workstations within the Space Flight Operations Facility at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory shortly before the launch of the Artemis II mission to the Moon on April 1, 2026. Eating peanuts before launches and other major mission events is a longstanding tradition at JPL. The Space Flight Operations Facility operates the DSN, which comprises three complexes in Goldstone, California; Madrid, Spain; and Canberra, Australia. Each complex consists of several radio frequency antennas that communicate with dozens of spacecraft exploring the solar system in addition to the crewed Artemis II mission. The DSN is managed by JPL for the agency’s Space Communications and Navigation program, which is located at NASA Headquarters within the Space Operations Mission Directorate. The DSN allows missions to track, send commands to, and receive scientific data from faraway spacecraft. JPL is managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California, for NASA. For more information about Artemis II, visit: [Hidden Content] Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From Photojournal Photojournal Search Photojournal Photojournal’s Latest Content Feedback View the full article

2 Min Read Supporting Artemis II From JPL’s Space Flight Operations Facility PIA26741 Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech Photojournal Navigation Science Photojournal Supporting Artemis II From… Photojournal Home Photojournal Search Latest Content Galleries Feedback RSS About Downloads Supporting Artemis II From JPL’s Space Flight Operations Facility JPEG (63.68 MB) Description The Artemis II mission patch appears in the center screen of the Space Flight Operations Facility at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California on April 1, 2026, shortly before the mission launched to the Moon. A graphical representation of the antennas of the agency’s Deep Space Network (DSN), left, indicates which antennas are currently sending and receiving data, highlighted in white. Shortly after liftoff at 6:35 p.m. EDT from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, initial Artemis II communications were handled by the agency’s Near Space Network. Then, the DSN acquired signal, marking the first time in over 50 years that the network would be communicating with a crewed spacecraft traveling through deep space. The Space Flight Operations Facility operates the DSN, which comprises three complexes in Goldstone, California; Madrid, Spain; and Canberra, Australia. Each complex consists of several radio frequency antennas that communicate with dozens of spacecraft exploring the solar system in addition to the Artemis II mission. The DSN is managed by JPL for the agency’s Space Communications and Navigation program, which is located at NASA Headquarters within the Space Operations Mission Directorate. The DSN allows missions to track, send commands to, and receive scientific data from faraway spacecraft. JPL is managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California, for NASA. For more information about Artemis II, visit: [Hidden Content] Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From Photojournal Photojournal Search Photojournal Photojournal’s Latest Content Feedback View the full article

Earth Observatory Science Earth Observatory Snow in the Shadow of the Andes Earth Earth Observatory Image of the Day EO Explorer Topics All Topics Atmosphere Land Heat & Radiation Life on Earth Human Dimensions Natural Events Oceans Remote Sensing Technology Snow & Ice Water More Content Collections Global Maps World of Change Articles Notes from the Field Blog Earth Matters Blog Blue Marble: Next Generation EO Kids Mission: Biomes About About Us Subscribe 🛜 RSS Contact Us Search Snow covers large areas of southern Argentina’s high plains in this image acquired on April 3, 2026, by the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) on NASA’s Terra satellite. NASA Earth Observatory/Michala Garrison On the eastern, arid side of the Andes, the plains of southern Argentina stretch from the mountains to the Atlantic coast. The landscape often appears dry and brown, interrupted by colorful glacier-fed lakes, but a storm in early April 2026 blanketed swaths of the land in white. The MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this image of the snowy Patagonian Desert on the morning of April 3. Early fall has been wetter than normal in southern Patagonia, said atmospheric scientist René Garreaud of the Universidad de Chile, noting that satellite-based estimates showed above-average precipitation from late March through early April. Much of the region’s precipitation tends to fall on the western, windward side of the Andes, he said. “But strong winds are capable of blowing some snow east into the Argentinian side, as beautifully reflected in the MODIS image.” Snow lines a valley at the outlet of Lago Argentino in this image acquired on April 3, 2026, by the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 9. NASA Earth Observatory/Michala Garrison Snow clings to the higher elevations, while valleys draining the large glacial lakes are bare. In this detailed Landsat image, a stark snow line appears along the outlet of Lago Argentino. Also note the color of the water. Lago Argentino and other nearby lakes contain an abundance of fine sediment, or glacial flour, pulverized by southern Patagonia’s plentiful glaciers. This suspended sediment makes the lakes appear milky blue or turquoise. Though snow was widespread across the desert after the early-season storm, the wintry splendor was fleeting. A satellite view from the afternoon of April 4 showed that snow had melted from all but the highest mountain areas. NASA Earth Observatory images by Michala Garrison, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview, and Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Lindsey Doermann. Downloads Terra: April 3, 2026 JPEG (3.29 MB) Landsat 9: April 3, 2026 JPEG (9.53 MB) References & Resources AntarcticGlaciers.org (2026, March 19) Southern Annual Mode: Southern Westerly Winds in Patagonia. Accessed April 8, 2026. NASA Earth Observatory (2019, June 11) Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina. Accessed April 8, 2026. NASA Earth Observatory (2019, May 20) How Glaciers Turn Lakes Turquoise. Accessed April 8, 2026. NASA Earth Observatory (2011, March 11) Glacial Lakes of Patagonia. Accessed April 8, 2026. You may also be interested in: Stay up-to-date with the latest content from NASA as we explore the universe and discover more about our home planet. Dust Outbreak Reaches Europe 3 min read Clouds of dust lofted from the Sahara Desert brought hazy skies and muddy rain to Western Europe. Article Wave of Dust Rolls Through Texas 3 min read An advancing cold front kicked up a sharp line of sand and other small particles that swept over the high… Article Finding Freshwater in Great Salt Lake 4 min read Reed-covered mounds exposed by declining water levels reveal an unexpected network of freshwater springs that feed directly into the lake… Article 1 2 3 4 Next Keep Exploring Discover More from NASA Earth Science Subscribe to Earth Observatory Newsletters Subscribe to the Earth Observatory and get the Earth in your inbox. Earth Observatory Image of the Day NASA’s Earth Observatory brings you the Earth, every day, with in-depth stories and stunning imagery. Explore Earth Science Earth Science Data Open access to NASA’s archive of Earth science data View the full article

3 Min Read Twin NASA Control Rooms Support Artemis Safety, Success Twin control rooms at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, are actively supporting real-time mission operations in lunar orbit as part of the agency’s Artemis II mission, helping ensure astronaut safety and mission success as the crew prepares to return to Earth Friday, April 10. LUCA (Lunar Utilization Control Area) at NASA Marshall is specially designed to support a wide variety of science operations on and around the Moon – and beyond. Engineers in the LUCA monitored operations for the Lunar Node-1 experiment, an autonomous navigation payload that was part of the first NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) launch on Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lunar lander in 2024. NASA Marshall flight controllers will use the LUCA again for Artemis II to monitor science operations.NASA/Charles Beason The LUCA (Lunar Utilization Control Area) and LESA (Lander Engineering Support Area) rooms are part of the Huntsville Operations Support Center at NASA Marshall. While the spaces look nearly identical, the two are more like fraternal twins in their focus areas: LUCA primarily supports Artemis science operations, while LESA will provide engineering support for landing astronauts on the Moon. “The Huntsville Operations Support Center at NASA Marshall can be adapted to the needs of the agency’s missions, and LUCA and LESA are some of our newest configurable control rooms for the Artemis campaign,” said Harish Chandranath, Payload and Mission Operations Division Human Landing Systems project lead at Marshall. “In addition to supporting Artemis, our Huntsville Operations Support Center teams also support the Commercial Crew Program, the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, and International Space Station science operations.” Support center services include work to manage spacecraft command and telemetry, local and remote voice services for international connections, live and recorded video services, and a telescience resource kit – special software that makes sure two computers far apart can communicate without missing any information and without human help. All Huntsville Operations Support Center services can be tied into both the LUCA and LESA rooms, giving operators the capability to use data and communicate with scientists and experts around the world. Support engineers will use the LESA (Lander Engineering Support Area) at NASA Marshall to monitor human landing system (HLS) for the first crewed Artemis missions.NASA/Charles Beason During Artemis II, teams in LUCA are supporting first-of-their-kind science operations designed to better understand the effects of deep space – such as microgravity and radiation – on crew physiology, immune response, and performance. The data gathered during the mission will inform future crewed flights to the Moon. Meanwhile, teams in LESA are observing Artemis II mission operations in real time, which is a critical opportunity to refine processes and prepare for future crewed landings on the Moon’s surface. For Artemis missions, members of NASA’s Human Landing System Mission Insight Support Team – including engineers, safety leads, flight operations experts, and technical authorities – will operate from LESA to monitor lander systems and support key decision-making. Through the Artemis program, NASA is returning humans to the Moon for scientific discovery, economic opportunity, and to build the foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars – for the benefit of all. To learn more about the Artemis program, visit: [Hidden Content] Share Details Last Updated Apr 08, 2026 EditorLee MohonContactCorinne M. Beckinger*****@*****.tld Related TermsHuman Landing System ProgramArtemisArtemis 2Earth's MoonMarshall Space Flight Center Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Artemis II Human Landing System Marshall Space Flight Center Artemis View the full article

NASA The Moon, seen here backlit by the Sun during a solar eclipse on April 6, 2026, is photographed by one of the cameras on the Orion spacecraft’s solar array wings. During lunar flyby, the Artemis II astronauts observed a solar eclipse that only they could see due to their unique position. See more photos from the Artemis II mission. Image credit: NASA View the full article

Earth Observatory Science Earth Observatory A Volcanic Medley Near Mammoth… Earth Earth Observatory Image of the Day EO Explorer Topics All Topics Atmosphere Land Heat & Radiation Life on Earth Human Dimensions Natural Events Oceans Remote Sensing Technology Snow & Ice Water More Content Collections Global Maps World of Change Articles Notes from the Field Blog Earth Matters Blog Blue Marble: Next Generation EO Kids Mission: Biomes About About Us Subscribe 🛜 RSS Contact Us Search Overlapping volcanic complexes shape the eastern Sierra Nevada in this image acquired on March 29, 2026, by the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 9. NASA Earth Observatory/Lauren Dauphin Take a tour through volcanic history on the edge of the Sierra Nevada near Mammoth Lakes, California. Between the tall granite peaks to the west and the Basin and Range province to the east, overlapping volcanic complexes imprint the landscape with a collection of craters, cones, and calderas. The area, still restless today, draws interest from geologists studying Earth’s processes and from planetary scientists exploring its commonalities with volcanic terrain elsewhere in our solar system. A string of volcanic features between Mono Lake and Mammoth Mountain is visible along the left side of this Landsat image. Known as the Mono-Inyo Craters, this chain of about three dozen lava domes, lava flows, and tephra rings formed within the past 10,000 years. Explosive eruptions in the area date back even further, but evidence of those older events is no longer apparent at the surface. Among the most recent activity in this chain, explosive eruptions formed Panum Crater near Mono Lake about 700 years ago. A strombolian eruption deposited a ring of pumice, ash, obsidian fragments, and other material around the vent. After that, a lava dome made of pumice and obsidian built up in the center, creating the concentric-circle pattern visible today. The Mono Craters arc across this image acquired on March 29, 2026, by the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 9. NASA Earth Observatory/Lauren Dauphin South of the Mono-Inyo Craters, Mammoth Mountain is perhaps best known for its ample skiable terrain, but it has a volcanic side, as well. The mountain is made up of at least 25 overlapping lava domes. Its last magmatic eruptions took place about 57,000 years ago, but steam-driven phreatic eruptions and other unrest have occurred much more recently. Scientists believe a magma intrusion beneath the mountain in 1989 set off a spate of seismicity and volcanic gas emissions. Venting of carbon dioxide gas has killed trees in the area, and the U.S. Geological Survey continues to monitor the mountain’s CO2 emissions. Researchers have previously worked with NASA airborne remote sensing technology to measure ecosystem responses to elevated volcanic CO2 around Mammoth Mountain. More recent projects have expanded these efforts to other volcanoes and incorporated satellite imagery to detect signs of gas emissions. These methods partly rely on changes observed in vegetation and could aid in earlier warnings of volcanic hazards. The most dramatic volcanism in the region, however, is far older. A massive eruption 760,000 years ago formed the Long Valley Caldera. This oval-shaped area, measuring 10 by 20 miles (16 by 32 kilometers), is bounded by snowy ridges, with Mammoth Mountain just off its southwest rim. Crowley Lake, a reservoir on the Owens River, drains the area to the southeast. The caldera was formed during a six-day-long eruption, during which 150 cubic miles (625 cubic kilometers) of material were ejected. (That’s about 20 times the amount that was spewed in the 1912 eruption of Novarupta, the largest on Earth in the 20th century.) As a result, the surface over the magma storage area subsided thousands of feet to create a vast depression. Scientists with NASA’s Goddard Instrument Field Team conducted research in the area in 2023 to better understand how similar massive eruptions on Mars and other planets and moons in our solar system may have altered their environments. NASA Earth Observatory images by Lauren Dauphin, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Lindsey Doermann. Downloads March 29, 2026 JPEG (16.28 MB) References & Resources Cawse-Nicholson, K., et al. (2018) Ecosystem responses to elevated CO2 using airborne remote sensing at Mammoth Mountain, California. Biogeosciences, 15(24), 7403–7418. Global Volcanism Program, Mono-Inyo Craters. Accessed April 7, 2026. NASA (2025, May 15) NASA Satellite Images Could Provide Early Volcano Warnings. Accessed April 7, 2026. NASA (2023, September) From the Archives: NASA’s Goddard Instrument Field Team at Long Valley Caldera. Accessed April 7, 2026. NASA Earth Observatory (2025, February 4) A Network of Dried Lakes. Accessed April 7, 2026. Oregon State University, Mono Lake Vol Field. Accessed April 7, 2026. U.S. Geological Survey (2023) Long Valley Caldera. Accessed April 7, 2026. You may also be interested in: Stay up-to-date with the latest content from NASA as we explore the universe and discover more about our home planet. Scoria Cones on Earth and Mars 7 min read The hill-shaped features are a sign of explosive volcanic activity—a rarity on the Red Planet. Article Krasheninnikova Remains Restless 3 min read The volcano on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula continues to erupt after centuries of quiescence. Article A Hot and Fiery Decade for Kīlauea 6 min read The volcano in Hawaii is one of the most active in the world, and NASA tech makes it easier for… Article 1 2 3 4 Next Keep Exploring Discover More from NASA Earth Science Subscribe to Earth Observatory Newsletters Subscribe to the Earth Observatory and get the Earth in your inbox. Earth Observatory Image of the Day NASA’s Earth Observatory brings you the Earth, every day, with in-depth stories and stunning imagery. Explore Earth Science Earth Science Data Open access to NASA’s archive of Earth science data View the full article

3 Min Read Celestial Wonders in Leo Showing a large portion of M66, this Hubble photo is a composite of images obtained at visible and infrared wavelengths. The images have been combined to represent the real colors of the galaxy. Credits: NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration; Acknowledgment: Davide De Martin and Robert Gendler Leo is a prominent sight for stargazers in April. Its famous sickle, punctuated by the bright star Regulus, draws many a beginning stargazer’s eyes, inviting deeper looks into some of Leo’s celestial delights, including a great double star and a famous galactic trio. The constellation, Leo. You can find this constellation in the springtime skies. Stellarium Leo’s distinctive forward sickle, or “reverse question mark,” is easy to spot as it climbs the skies in the southeast after sunset. If you are having a difficult time spotting the sickle, look for bright Sirius and Procyon in Canis Major and Canis Minor. Complete a triangle by drawing two lines to the east, joining at the bright star Regulus, the “*******” in the reverse question mark. Trailing them is a trio of bright stars forming an isosceles triangle, the brightest star in that formation named Denebola. Connecting these two patterns together forms the constellation of Leo the Lion, with the forward-facing sickle being the lion’s head and mane, and the rear triangle its hindquarters. Can you see this mighty feline? It might help to imagine Leo proudly sitting up and staring straight ahead, like a celestial Sphinx. To help find these objects, you can use online tools like Stellarium Web. If you peer deeper into Leo with a small telescope or binoculars, you’ll find a notable double star! Look in the sickle of Leo for its second-brightest star, Algieba, also called Gamma Leonis. This star splits into two bright yellow stars even with a small magnification. You can make this “split” with binoculars, but it’s more apparent with a telescope. Compare the color and intensity of these two stars: do you notice any differences? There are other multiple-star systems in Leo; spend a few minutes scanning with your instrument of choice, and see what you discover. The Leo Triplet – three galaxies that appear to be close together under the star Chertan in the Leo constellation. Stellarium One of the most famous sights in Leo is the “Leo Triplet”: three galaxies that appear to be close together. They are indeed gravitationally bound to one another, around 30 million light-years away! You’ll need a telescope to spot them, and use an eyepiece with a wide field of view to see all three galaxies at once! Look below the star Chertan to find galaxies M65, M66, and NGC 3628 – The Hamburger Galaxy. Compare and contrast the appearance of each galaxy – while they are all spiral galaxies, each one is tilted at different angles to our point of view! Do they all look like spiral galaxies to you? April is Citizen Science Month, and there are some fun Leo-related activities you can participate in! If you enjoy comparing the Triplets, the Galaxy Zoo project could use your eyes to help classify different galaxies from sky survey data! Looking at Leo itself can even help measure light pollution: the Globe at Night project uses Leo as their target constellation for sky quality observations from the Northern Hemisphere. Find and participate in many more NASA community science programs at NASA Citizen Science. Happy observing! Originally posted by Dave Prosper: April 2021 Last Updated by Kat Troche: April 2026 View the full article

The Moon, backlit by the Sun during a solar eclipse, is photographed by NASA’s Orion spacecraft on Monday, 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.Credit: NASA The first flyby images of the Moon captured by NASA’s Artemis II astronauts during their historic test flight reveal some regions no human has seen, including a rare in-space solar eclipse. Released Tuesday, astronauts captured the images April 6 during the mission’s seven-hour flyby of the lunar far side, showing humanity’s return to the Moon’s vicinity and opening a trove of scientific data. NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and CSA (********* Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, have used a fleet of cameras to take thousands of photos. The agency released several images, with more expected in the coming days as the crew members are more than halfway through their journey and now headed home toward Earth. “Our four Artemis II astronauts — Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy — took humanity on an incredible journey around the Moon and brought back images so exquisite and brimming with science, they will inspire generations to come,” said Dr. Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters in Washington. During the lunar flyby, the crew documented impact craters, ancient lava flows, and surface fractures that will help scientists study the Moon’s geologic evolution. They monitored color, brightness, and texture differences across the terrain, observed an earthset and earthrise, and captured solar‑eclipse views of the Sun’s corona. The crew also reported six meteoroid impact flashes on the darkened lunar surface. Peeking at EarthAs NASA’s Artemis II crew came close to passing behind the Moon and experiencing a planned loss of signal on Monday, April 6, 2026, they captured this image of a crescent Earth setting on the Moon’s limb. In this photo, the dark portion of Earth is experiencing nighttime, while Australia and Oceania are in the daylight. In the foreground, the Ohm crater is visible, with terraced edges and a flat floor interrupted by central peaks. Peaks such as these form in complex craters when the lunar surface is liquified on impact, and the liquefied surface splashes upward during the crater’s formation.Credit: NASA Setting EarthThe lunar surface fills the frame in sharp detail, as seen during NASA’s Artemis II lunar flyby, while a distant Earth sets in the background. This image was captured at 6:41 p.m. EDT, on April 6, 2026, just three minutes before the Orion spacecraft and its crew went behind the Moon and lost contact with Earth for 40 minutes before emerging on the other side. In this image, the dark portion of Earth is experiencing nighttime, while on its day side, swirling clouds are visible over the Australia and Oceania region. In the foreground, Ohm crater shows terraced edges and a relatively flat floor marked by central peaks — formed when the surface rebounded upward during the impact that created the crater.Credit: NASA Shadows Across Vavilov CraterA close-up view taken by the Artemis II crew of Vavilov Crater on the rim of the older and larger Hertzsprung basin on Monday, April 6, 2026. The right portion of the image shows the transition from smooth material within an inner ring of mountains to more rugged terrain around the rim. Vavilov and other craters and their ejecta are accentuated by long shadows at the terminator, the boundary between lunar day and night. The image was captured with a handheld camera at a focal length of 400 mm, as the crew flew around the far side of the Moon.Credit: NASA Artemis Era EarthriseEarthrise captured through the Orion spacecraft window at 7:22 p.m. EDT on Monday, April 6, 2026, during the Artemis II crew’s flyby of the Moon’s far side. Earth appears as a delicate crescent, with only its upper edge illuminated. The planet’s soft blue hue and scattered white cloud systems stand out against the blackness of space, while the lower portion fades into night. Taken with a 400 mm lens, the image, Earthrise, reveals a striking alignment of Earth and Moon, with the Moon in the top foreground and the Earth below. Along the lunar horizon, rugged terrain is silhouetted against the bright crescent Earth. Both bodies are oriented with their north poles to the left and south poles to the right, offering a unique perspective of our home planet from deep space. This photo was rotated 90 degrees clockwise for standard viewing orientation. Credit: NASA Artemis II in EclipseCaptured by the Artemis II crew during their lunar flyby on Monday, April 6, 2026, this image shows the Moon fully eclipsing the Sun. From the crew’s perspective, the Moon appears large enough to completely block the Sun, creating nearly 54 minutes of totality and extending the view far beyond what is possible from Earth. The corona forms a glowing halo around the dark lunar disk, revealing details of the Sun’s outer atmosphere typically hidden by its brightness. Also visible are stars, typically too faint to see when imaging the Moon, but with the Moon in darkness stars are readily imaged. This unique vantage point provides both a striking visual and a valuable opportunity for astronauts to document and describe the corona during humanity’s return to deep space. The faint glow of the nearside of the Moon is visible in this image, having been illuminated by light reflected off the Earth.Credit: NASA Artemis II Total Solar Eclipse, Partial FrameA close-up view from the Orion spacecraft during the Artemis II crew’s lunar flyby on Monday, April 6, 2026, captures a total solar eclipse, with only part of the Moon visible in the frame as it fully obscures the Sun. Although the full lunar disk extends beyond the image, the Sun’s faint corona remains visible as a soft halo of light around the Moon’s edge. From this deep-space vantage point, the Moon appeared large enough to sustain nearly 54 minutes of totality, far longer than total solar eclipses typically seen from Earth. This cropped perspective emphasizes the scale of the alignment and reveals subtle structure in the corona during the rare, extended eclipse observed by the crew. The bright silver glint on the left edge of the image is the planet Venus. The round, dark gray feature visible along the Moon’s horizon between the 9 and 10 o’clock positions is Mare Crisium, a feature visible from Earth. We see faint lunar features because light reflected off of Earth provides a source of illumination.Credit: NASA EarthsetEarthset captured through the Orion spacecraft window at 6:41 p.m. EDT, April 6, 2026, during the Artemis II crew’s flyby of the Moon. A muted blue Earth with bright white clouds sets behind the cratered lunar surface. The dark portion of Earth is experiencing nighttime. On Earth’s day side, swirling clouds are visible over the Australia and Oceania region. In the foreground, Ohm crater has terraced edges and a flat floor interrupted by central peaks. Central peaks form in complex craters when the lunar surface, liquefied on impact, splashes upwards during the crater’s formation.Credit: NASA Final Flyby PreparationsNASA astronauts Victor Glover and Reid Wiseman, and CSA (********* Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen prepare for their journey around the far side of the Moon by configuring their camera equipment shortly before beginning the Artemis II lunar flyby observations.Credit: NASA Ready for Close UpCaptured by the Artemis II crew, the heavily cratered terrain of the eastern edge of the South Pole-Aitken basin is seen with the shadowed terminator – the boundary between lunar day and night – at the top of the image. The South Pole-Aitken basin is the largest and oldest basin on the Moon, providing a glimpse into an ancient geologic history built up over billions of years.Credit: NASA Scientists already are analyzing the downlinked images, audio, and data to refine the timing and locations of these events and compare them with observations from amateur astronomers. The new imagery also will help NASA better understand the Moon’s geology and inform future exploration and science missions that will lay the foundation for an enduring presence on the Moon ahead of future astronaut missions to Mars. “It was remarkable listening to the crew describe the stunning views during the flyby,” said Jacob Bleacher, NASA’s chief exploration scientist at the agency’s headquarters. “At first, their descriptions didn’t quite match what we were seeing on our screens. Now that higher resolution images are coming down, we can finally experience the moments they were trying to share and truly appreciate the scientific return provided by these images and our other research on this mission.” Official NASA imagery for viewing and download is available on the agency website and digital platforms, including: Artemis Image Gallery NASA Images and Video Library NASA 2 Explore Media should follow NASA’s media usage guidelines for all publication and distribution of these images. NASA is targeting 8:07 p.m. EDT (5:07 p.m. PDT) Friday, April 10, for the return of Artemis II off the coast of San Diego. NASA+ live return coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. and will continue until NASA and Department of War personnel safely assist the crew out of Orion and transport them to the USS John P. Murtha. Briefings, events, and 24/7 mission coverage are streaming on NASA’s YouTube channel and events will each have their own stream closer to their start time. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of online platforms, including social media. As part of 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. To learn more about the Artemis program, visit: [Hidden Content] -end- Cheryl Warner / Katherine Rohloff Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1100 *****@*****.tld / *****@*****.tld Share Details Last Updated Apr 07, 2026 EditorJessica TaveauLocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsArtemis 2ArtemisEarthEarth's MoonExploration Systems Development Mission DirectorateHumans in Space View the full article

NASA The Artemis II crew captured this view of Earth setting on April 6, 2026, as they flew around the Moon. As the astronauts flew over the Moon’s far side, the crew photographed and described terrain features including impact craters, ancient lava flows, and surface cracks and ridges formed as the Moon slowly evolved over time. They also noted differences in color, brightness and texture, which provide clues that help scientists understand the composition and history of the lunar surface. The image is reminiscent of the iconic Earthrise image taken by astronaut Bill Anders 58 years earlier as the Apollo 8 crew flew around the Moon. The Apollo 8 mission was the first crewed spacecraft to circumnavigate the Moon. For more imagery from the mission, visit our Artemis II Multimedia Page. Image credit: NASA View the full article