Missions

Missions

The latest news from the spacecraft helping us explore the cosmos, and the historical missions that paved the way.

Wernher von Braun’s proposed spacecraft was based around three reusable Nuclear Shuttles. Credit: Marshall Space Flight Center/NASA

Within weeks of the Apollo Moonlanding, this scientist was planning to send humans to Mars. Here's where it all went wrong

Apollo’s mastermind Wernher von Braun planned a crewed mission to the Red Planet by the 1980s. But what actually happened was a different story

The Artemis II crew standing in front of the Space Launch System and Orion capsule that will take them to the Moon. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

Artemis II is a 'fundamental shift' in spaceflight, say scientists. Why we're entering a new era of space exploration

Why Artemis II is marking the next chapter in human spaceflight, with many dubbing this era the Space Race 2.0

The Artemis II crew in front of an Orion simulator, 23 January 2026, NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz

Artemis II astronauts are taking their own avatars to the Moon, to find out how dangerous spaceflight really is

Small chips containing human cells could help prepare humans for long space journeys

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Photographers gather ahead of the planned April 2026 launch of the Artemis II mission at Kennedy Space Center, March 29th, 2026. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

The Artemis II launch countdown has begun. NASA says the weather is looking good. This could be it

NASA announces the launch countdown for the April 1st launch of Artemis II has begun, with final preparations now underway.

NASA's Artemis I mission launches. Credit: NASA TV

When Artemis II launches to the Moon, we'll be able to track it on our smartphones. Here's how

How to keep track of the Artemis II mission in real time

The full Moon and the Artemis II Space Launch System and Orion capsule, Nasa's Kennedy Space Center, 1 February 2026. Credit: NASA/Sam Lott

Pink Moon launch – NASA's Artemis II mission could blast off right at the peak of this week's full Moon

Will you be able to see Artemis II and the Pink Moon at the same time?

"Station passed through magnificent Aurora Australis last night," wrote Peake after capturing this image of the Southern Lights from the Space Station, 12 June 2016. Credit: ESA/NASA

Spectacular Earth from space. UK astronaut Tim Peake spent six months on the ISS and captured these amazing images

Some of the best images of Earth captured by UK astronaut Tim Peake during his time on the International Space Station.

artemis ii crew

From lunar blackout to engine failure... 8 things to know about NASA's return to the Moon

What you need to know about NASA's Artemis II mission.

The crew of the Artemis II mission. Credit: NASA/Frank Michaux

What life will really be like for the Artemis II crew as they journey around the Moon

A guide to the crew's journey onboard the Orion capsule

NASA's Artemis II rocket and spacecraft at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Credit: NASA/Sam Lott

NASA Artemis II launch dates

Potential launch dates for the Artemis II mission to the Moon

Orion crew module on left, next to the Moon and Earth on the right, surrounded by black space. The Moon is slightly larger than Earth.

Artemis II isn't just a re-run of Apollo 8. It'll completely change human spaceflight forever

Apollo 8 and Artemis II – two different journeys around the Moon, but each of them as special as the other.

Sperm will have trouble fertilising an egg in space, according to new research. Credit: mustafaU / Getty Images

Sex in space? Houston, we may have a problem. Sperm has trouble in zero gravity, but scientists could have a solution

Research finds sperm have trouble finding their way in a weightless environment

A purple potato on the International Space Station, photographed by NASA astronaut Don Pettit. Credit: NASA

NASA astronaut shares photo of weird, purple, egg-shaped object with 'tentacles' on the ISS. But the truth is much more terrestrial

Don Pettit sets social media ablaze with a photo of... a potato

Glowing jellyfish in the ocean. Credit: DBenitostock

NASA sent thousands of jellyfish into space. Here's why it could help us get humans to Mars

What can 2,500 jellyfish astronauts tell us about how the human body reacts to spaceflight?

Artist's impression of Space Reactor-1 Freedom, the nuclear-powered spaceship NASA says it is sending to Mars. Credit: NASA

NASA plans to launch a nuclear-powered spacecraft to Mars before the end of 2028

NASA has announced Space Reactor-1 Freedom, a nuclear powered spacecraft the agency wants to send to Mars before the end of 2028.

Tiny rocks batter the Moon relentlessly, so smart shields and the right site will be key for any future lunar base. Credit: Peepo, Getty

NASA ramps up Moon missions, announces regular crewed visits and a permanent Moon base

NASA has announced new plans to return humans to the Moon

A view of Mare Orientale on the far side of the Moon, as seen by NASA's Lunar Orbiter 4 mission. Credit: NASA

Artemis II astronauts will be the first humans to get a full view this strange bullseye on the far side of the Moon

The crew of Artemis II will be the first humans to get a full, clear view of Mare Orientale on the far side of the Moon.

Artist's impression of a spaceshipp crashing into a planet. Credit: Elen11 / Getty Images

We humans love smashing our spacecraft into planets. These are the times we got amazing science from complete destruction

It might seem like a complete waste, but there are very good reasons to end a space mission by sending it to impact the object it studied

NASA's Artemis II on the launchpad. Credit: NASA/Sam Lott

NASA is rolling the Artemis II rocket to the launchpad today. Here's how to watch the whole thing live

NASA is targeting a 1 April launch for the crewed lunar mission

The Artemis II crew Jeremy Hansen, Christina Koch, Victor Glover and Reid Wiseman during training at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, 31 July 2025. Credit: NASA

Artemis II astronauts re-enter quarantine as NASA pushes ahead for 1 April launch

Another milestone in the first crewed mission to the Moon since Apollo

An enhanced-colour image of Jupiter's Great Red Spot processed by citizen scientist Jason Major using data captured by the Juno spacecraft's JunoCam. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Jason Major

This NASA spacecraft has been photographing Jupiter and its moons for 10 years. Its images are jaw-dropping

The best images of Jupiter and its moons captured during one of NASA's most iconic missions

How will solar storms affect astronauts on Mars. Credit: This coronal mass ejection, captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, erupted on the Sun Aug. 31, 2012, traveling over 900 miles per second and sending radiation deep into space. Earth’s magnetic field shields it from radiation produced by solar events like this one, while Mars lacks that kind of shielding. Credit: NASA/GFSC/SDO

Solar storms could endanger the Artemis II astronauts. Here's how NASA plans to keep them safe

Travelling to the Moon and back is a risky business. Solar storms are one of the biggest threats to the upcoming crewed mission

Artist's impression of a spacecraft mining an asteroid. Credit: Maciej Frolow / Getty Images

We may be about to see an asteroid-mining gold rush. But here's why it could be a very bad idea

We examine the scramble to harvest metals from asteroids – and why we should think twice about it

An iridescent cloud on Mars captured just after sunset on 27 January 2023, by NASA's Curiosity rover. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

NASA Mars rover's incredible image shows rays of sunlight through a bank of Martian clouds

The Martian rover has sent back an image of crepuscular rays shining through a bank of clouds on the Red Planet.

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