Fresh photos reveal the scars left behind after a SpaceX rocket stage slammed into the moon at a mind-boggling 5,400 mph.
South Korea’s Danuri spacecraft captured the first look at the cosmic crash site after making multiple orbits above the freshly carved crater. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute released the before-and-after snapshots, showing a noticeably darkened space where the rogue Falcon 9 upper stage plowed into the moon on Wednesday, blasting dust and debris across the landscape.
<div id="attachment_1153083" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1153083" class="wp-image-1153083 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-2026-08-07T081932.539-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-2026-08-07T081932.539-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-2026-08-07T081932.539-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-2026-08-07T081932.539-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-2026-08-07T081932.539.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Credit: Reuters: Korea AeroSpace Research Institute</div>
The 45-foot-long, 8,800-pound upper stage was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/spacex-rocket-crashes-into-the-moon">originally launched</a> by Elon Musk’s aerospace giant back in January 2025 to deliver private lunar landers. While lower-orbit rocket parts usually burn up harmlessly in Earth&#8217;s atmosphere, high-energy deep-space missions require complicated disposals. Over time, gravitational pulls and solar radiation knocked the hulk off course, putting it on a collision trajectory with the moon near the Einstein crater.
Scientists estimate the high-speed impact blasted out a brand-new crater spanning up to 60 feet wide and 12 feet deep. The flash of the violent crash lasted roughly one second, but the ejected lunar dust could scatter hundreds of miles across the surface.
Unlike NASA and European space agencies, which operate under strict regulatory mandates for spacecraft disposal, commercial operators follow a looser set of rules. Experts warn that unguided space debris poses a potential threat to historical lunar heritage sites, such as the iconic Apollo landing grounds.
But researchers are seizing on the accidental impact as a massive scientific opportunity. Because astronomers already knew the exact mass, velocity, and trajectory of the Falcon 9 stage, they are treating the crash as a controlled experiment so they can better understand how planetary surfaces absorb severe impacts.
South Korea&#8217;s orbiter got the jump on the action by photographing the initial impact zone, but NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is scheduled to make its own flyover next week. Researchers plan to spend months analyzing the before-and-after imagery to study the freshly exposed lunar soil. That will offer critical data as NASA pushes forward with its Artemis program.

Seasonal July Buck Moon Rises Over Krakow Skyline

See The Crash Site After SpaceX Rocket Slams Into Moon

Elon Musk

Moon

South Korea

Space

Space X

A discarded upper stage from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2583318-spacex-rocket-crashes-into-moon-at-8700-kilometres-per-hour/">crashed</a> into the moon early Wednesday morning, traveling at about 5,400 miles per hour. The impact is believed to have occurred at around 2:35 a.m. ET near the moon&#8217;s Einstein crater.
<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/commercial-space/nasa-will-attempt-to-observe-rocket-parts-lunar-impact/">NASA</a> estimates the new crater caused by the crash is roughly 60 feet wide and 12 feet deep. Images of the area before and after the impact are expected soon. Lunar orbiters from South Korea and the United States will also examine the location.
The rocket stage was nearly 45 feet long and weighed about 8,800 pounds. Independent astronomers initially tracked its path using public data, and NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies later confirmed the trajectory. The agency said the object posed no danger to Earth and that it would study the impact site for scientific purposes.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 launched on January 15, 2025, carrying Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander and ispace’s Resilience lander. The first stage returned back to Earth. The upper stage sent the landers toward the moon and then stayed in space. Blue Ghost landed successfully in March 2025, but Resilience’s landing attempt failed.
For lower orbit missions, upper stages usually burn up in Earth’s atmosphere. This high-energy flight required a different disposal approach. Julianna <a href="https://www.ksl.com/article/51605781/a-spacex-rocket-is-about-to-crash-into-the-moon">Scheiman</a> of SpaceX said the company completed the required maneuver. Solar activity and gravity later put the stage on a path toward the moon.
“But for high-energy missions, we need to perform a different maneuver to ensure the second stage itself is safe per the appropriate rules and regulations,” Scheiman said. “We did that here for the Ispace and Blue Ghost missions’ second stage, and what has happened is essentially a mixture of solar activity and gravity forces have put it on a path towards the moon.”
Hannah Sargeant of the University of Leicester said telescopes worldwide were watching the site. She noted that randomly sending debris to the moon is not ideal and should not become routine, citing risks to sites of interest or historical hardware such as the Apollo landers.
NASA and the European Space Agency are required to plan for safe disposal of spacecraft, while commercial operators currently operate under different rules.
The heavy payload on this launch required extra thrust, leaving the stage in an uncontrolled state that led to the collision course.
Scientists expect useful data and astronomers hope to capture images of a crater forming and of the material thrown outward. Knowing the mass, speed, and path of this object can still provide concrete information on how planetary surfaces respond to impacts. The flash of the impact itself was expected to last about one second.
A preprint study estimated the crater diameter between 60 and 100 feet. Material ejected from the crash could travel as far as 500 miles before falling back to the moon. South Korea’s Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter aimed to image the stage before impact. NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter will survey the site afterward.
Artificial impacts on the moon have been rare. Researchers plan to use the data as more missions, including those under the Artemis program, seek to travel to the moon.

US-SPACE-ROBOTICS-SATELLITE-SPACEX

SpaceX Rocket Crashes Into The Moon

Discarded Falcon 9 upper stage hits near Einstein crater, creating an estimated 60 foot wide crater

Falcon 9

SpaceX

A decommissioned SpaceX rocket that got off course is expected to slam into the moon at 5,400 miles per hour on Wednesday morning. 
The upper stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will likely crash into the moon at 2:35 a.m. ET on Wednesday after drifting for 19 months in a moon-crossing high-Earth orbit. Typically, the upper stage of the rocket would enter a highly elliptical orbit of the Earth before eventually being brought down and catching fire before it landed in a remote part of the ocean. But gravitational pulls from Earth, the moon, and the sun gradually altered the rocket&#8217;s trajectory. The rocket was used to launch commercial moon landers into space before it was decommissioned.
Julianna Scheiman, the director of NASA science and Dragon programs at SpaceX, <a href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/moon/a-spacex-rocket-will-crash-into-the-moon-this-week-why-is-it-on-a-collision-course">said</a> that the company performed &#8220;a different maneuver [than deorbiting] to ensure that the second stage itself is safe per the appropriate rules and regulations.&#8221; 
&#8220;What has happened is, essentially, a mixture of solar activity and gravity forces have put it on a path towards the moon,&#8221; Scheiman added. 
Astronomer Bill Gray, who first predicted the date and time of the collision, <a href="https://time.com/article/2026/08/04/spacex-moon-crash-what-to-know/">estimates</a> the crash will release energy equivalent to 15,000 sticks of dynamite and will create a considerable debris plume. Despite the power and scale of the impact, scientists say the crash will be too dim and too fast to spot with the naked eye from Earth. NASA says the collision poses no threat to Earth and that the agency “will continue to track the booster for training purposes, as well as later observe the impact site for scientific purposes.”
Los Alamos National Laboratory researcher Benjamin Fernando said that the collision &#8220;provides an opportunity to test pipelines for measuring flash properties to locate impact events seismically, and to better understand the multi-modal hazards posed to future lunar infrastructure and astronauts from space debris impacting the moon.” 
The crater caused by the collision is expected to be 90 feet wide and 16 feet deep. NASA will point its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, a robotic spacecraft that maps the moon, at the site before and after the strike. 
Wednesday&#8217;s impact will mark just the second time a spent rocket has hit the moon accidentally. In 2022, a Chinese rocket booster collided with the moon’s far side. In that crash, researchers initially suspected it was a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket before realizing it was China’s Long March 3C rocket that had launched a trip around the moon in October 2014. 
As NASA prepares to establish a sustained human presence on the moon, managing space debris in lunar orbit will become increasingly important. Future collisions could eject debris from the lunar surface, creating potential hazards for astronauts, spacecraft, and nearby operating infrastructure.

A SpaceX Rocket Is About To Crash Into The Moon

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On Tuesday, NASA announced the four men set to embark on a low-Earth orbit test flight in the next step toward America&#8217;s goal to once again set foot on the moon. 
NASA selected Andre Douglas, Frank Rubio, Luca Parmitano, and Randy Bresnik for Artemis III. The four men will train for a year and a half, a shorter time than the Artemis II crew’s training, which was three years. Bresnik was designated as the commander, and Douglass and Rubio are the mission specialists. Parmitano — an Italian from the European Space Agency — is the pilot.
As the crowd applauded the men, Douglas shouted “Mom, thank you so much for believing in me.&#8221; 
For the Artemis III mission, the crew will be traveling in an Orion capsule for about two weeks, which is roughly the size of two minivans. The four crew members will undergo training to establish relational-bonds and teamwork. <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-iii/">According to NASA</a>, the mission&#8217;s goal is to &#8220;carry out a series of objectives designed to demonstrate critical systems needed for a future lunar landing.&#8221;
The Space Launch System rocket, carrying the Orion spacecraft, hopes to launch the crew members from NASA&#8217;s Kennedy Space Center by late 2027. The Orion spacecraft is a major step for NASA towards exploration on the Moon and, eventually, Mars.
Parmitano represents the European agency, beginning his career as “a test pilot and then colonel with the Italian Air Force.” <a href="https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/ESA_astronaut_Luca_Parmitano_joins_NASA_s_Artemis_III_mission_as_pilot">In 2007</a>, he was selected by the Italian Air Force to be a test pilot, training as an &#8220;Experimental Test Pilot at EPNER, the French test pilot school in Istres.&#8221; Promoted to colonel in the Italian Air Force, he logged over 2,000 hours of flight time. He also qualified for over 20 types of military airplanes and helicopters, flying over 40 types of aircraft. He has previously spent 366 days in space across two missions to the International Space Station and Volare and Beyond.  
<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/people/randolph-komrade-bresnik/">Bresnik,</a> the oldest member of the crew, started working with NASA in 2004, and is the only crew member who flew on a space shuttle before the vehicles retired. Bresnik has a military career, commissioned as Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1989. He also attended U.S. Naval Test Pilot&#8217;s School, becoming an F/A-18 Test Pilot and was deployed to Kuwait, flying combat missions. Along with being a veteran of the Space Shuttle mission STS-129, Bresnik served as &#8220;Commander of the International Space Station for Expedition 53 and flight engineer for Expedition 52&#8221; with over 32 hours of Spacewalk experience. Bresnik also has over 3,600 hours in spacecraft. 
<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/people/nasa-astronaut-andre-douglas/">Douglas has a</a> bachelor&#8217;s degree in mechanical engineering from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, a master&#8217;s degree in mechanical engineering from University of Michigan, along with a degree in electrical and computer engineering from Johns Hopkins University, and a doctorate in systems engineering from George Washington University. He also was a &#8220;naval architect, salvage engineer, damage control assistant, and officer of the deck&#8221; while serving the U.S. Coast Guard.
When Douglas was selected in 2021 to join NASA&#8217;s Astronaut Candidate Class, he was a &#8220;senior professional staff member at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab (APL) working on maritime robotics, planetary defense, and space exploration missions.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/people/frank-rubio/">Rubio graduated</a> from the U.S. Military Academy in 1998, and received a Doctorate of Medicine from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in 2010. He also served in the U.S. Army as an aviator and a physician for over 28 years. An Army Aviator, Rubio flew more than 1,100 hours, which includes over 600 hours of &#8220;combat and imminent danger time&#8221; as a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter pilot. He is board-certified as a &#8220;family physician and flight surgeon.&#8221; When Rubio was selected by NASA in 2017, he was serving in the 3rd Battalion of the 10th Special Forces Group.
Rubio spent 371 days in space, the longest continuous stay in space by a NASA astronaut, due to traveling to the International Space Station where a coolant leak occurred. Rubio had travelled in a Russian Soyuz capsule, docked to the space station, and, instead of staying there six months, had to wait for a replacement Soyuz to come for over a year.

US-SPACE-NASA-ARTEMIS III

NASA Announces Crew For Next Phase Of Its Moon Mission

Artemis II

NASA

NASA astronaut and Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman shared a stunning iPhone video on Sunday showing Earth slowly fading from view behind the Moon.
Wiseman used his cellphone to capture the “Earthset” on April 6 as the crew’s spacecraft moved behind the Moon, about 252,000 miles from Earth.
During an &#8216;Earthset,&#8217; the planet &#8220;appears to sink below the lunar horizon,&#8221; <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/earthset-from-the-lunar-far-side/">according to NASA</a>.
&#8220;Only one chance in this lifetime,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/astro_reid/status/2046009031613907029?s=20">Wiseman said on social media</a>. &#8220;Like watching sunset at the beach from the most foreign seat in the cosmos, I couldn’t resist a cell phone video of Earthset.&#8221;
&#8220;I could barely see the Moon through the docking hatch window but the iPhone was the perfect size to catch the view … this is uncropped, uncut with 8x zoom which is quite comparable to the view of the human eye,&#8221; he added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Only one chance in this lifetime…
Like watching sunset at the beach from the most foreign seat in the cosmos, I couldn’t resist a cell phone video of Earthset. You can hear the shutter on the Nikon as <a href="https://twitter.com/Astro_Christina?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Astro_Christina</a> is hammering away on 3-shot brackets and capturing those… <a href="https://t.co/8aWnaFJ69c">pic.twitter.com/8aWnaFJ69c</a>
— Reid Wiseman (@astro_reid) <a href="https://twitter.com/astro_reid/status/2046009031613907029?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The viral video has racked up more than 10 million views on X. 
&#8220;Otherworldly … the Earth setting behind the Moon during the Artemis II mission &#8211; captured with an everyday smartphone. Makes it feel so much more ‘human’ and closer to home,&#8221; Special Communications Assistant to the NASA Administrator said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Otherworldly… the Earth setting behind the Moon during the Artemis II mission &#8211; captured with an everyday smartphone. Makes it feel so much more ‘human’ and closer to home. <a href="https://t.co/9SKhDt9TyJ">https://t.co/9SKhDt9TyJ</a>
— John Kraus (@johnkrausphotos) <a href="https://twitter.com/johnkrausphotos/status/2046009592816050181?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The four-member crew also photographed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bright-spot-artemis-ii-crew-names-moon-feature-after-mission-commanders-late-wife">terrain features</a>, &#8220;including impact craters, ancient lava flows, and surface cracks and ridges formed as the Moon slowly evolved over time,&#8221; NASA said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Your close personal friends, the <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAArtemis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASAArtemis</a> astronauts (and Rise), can&#8217;t wait to get home!
In the meantime, enjoy a few new pictures from their camera roll. And watch their return with us live at <a href="https://t.co/z1RgZwQkWS">https://t.co/z1RgZwQkWS</a>. <a href="https://t.co/gJBvWTdlWM">pic.twitter.com/gJBvWTdlWM</a>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/2042714976767349088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2026</a></blockquote>
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NASA’s Artemis II crew made history by traveling farther into space than humans had ever gone before.
Wiseman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-christian-symbol-that-brought-the-artemis-ii-commander-to-tears">previously described</a> the moment he called for the ship’s chaplain at the end of the historic lunar mission, saying he “broke down in tears” when he saw the cross on the officer’s collar.
“When I got back on the on the ship — I’m not really a religious person — but there was just no other avenue for me to explain anything or to experience anything,” Wiseman said of the moment they were retrieved after splashdown.
“So, I asked for the chaplain on the Navy ship to just come visit us for a minute, and when that man walked in, I’d never met him before in my life. But I saw the cross on his collar, and I just broke down in tears,” he continued. “It’s very hard to fully grasp what we just went through.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NEW: Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman reflects on being MOVED to tears by the Christian cross after returning to Earth from the historic expedition:
&#8220;When I got back on the on the ship — I&#8217;m not really a religious person — but there was just no other avenue for me to explain… <a href="https://t.co/yk2JBIkxrN">pic.twitter.com/yk2JBIkxrN</a>
— Fox News (@FoxNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNews/status/2044852432891527539?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
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WATCH: Artemis II Commander Shares ‘One Chance In A Lifetime’ Shot From Space

Earth

Science

Updates from Artemis II, NASA’s first crewed moon mission in over 50 years, range from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-shares-first-photo-taken-from-far-side-of-moon">extraordinary</a> to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bright-spot-artemis-ii-crew-names-moon-feature-after-mission-commanders-late-wife">heartwarming</a>. Now, everyone following along at home has a way to feel a little closer to the brave crew embarking on a new era of space exploration: a morning playlist.
NASA shared a <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0WO94bzZeuUun777vv6UJu?si=Nhmsvj9ZTMCW7zEJfTJ4pg&amp;nd=1&amp;dlsi=897c28d3abb04eda">link to the playlist</a> on Spotify yesterday, noting that the selections were picked by the astronauts and continue in a long tradition of playlists.
“Artemis II Wake-Up Songs” include: 
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;Sleepyhead&#8221; by Young &amp; Sick</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;Green Light (feat. André 3000)&#8221; by John Legend and André 3000</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;In a Daydream&#8221; by Freddy Jones Band</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;Pink Pony Club&#8221; by Chappell Roan</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;Working Class Heroes (Work)&#8221; by CeeLo Green</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;Good Morning&#8221; by Mandisa and TobyMac</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;Tokyo Drifting&#8221; by Glass Animals and Denzel Curry</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;Under Pressure&#8221; by Queen and David Bowie</li>
</ul>
Artemis II began its 10-day moon mission on April 1 with a crew including commander Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen. This mission took them further away from Earth than any manned spacecraft has gone before, reaching a maximum distance from Earth of 252,756 miles.
Colin Fries of the NASA History Division first <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/wakeup-calls.pdf#:~:text=Use%20of%20music%20to%20awaken%20astronauts%20on,allowed%20outside%20interests%20to%20influence%20the%20process.">compiled a record</a> of NASA playlists in 2015, noting public interest in what the astronauts were listening to.
&#8220;There have always been inquiries about flown items and mission events as we all know, and those about wakeup calls and music played in space encompassed a steady stream (no pun intended)!&#8221; he wrote at the time.
Fries included a letter from NASA’s acting director in 1990, Lynn W. Heninger, to Congressman Robert H. Michel.
&#8220;Use of music to awaken astronauts on space missions dates back at least to the Apollo Program, when astronauts returning from the Moon were serenaded by their colleagues in mission control with lyrics from popular songs that seemed appropriate to the occasion,” Heninger wrote.
&#8220;The common element of all these selections is that they promote a sense of camaraderie and esprit de corps among the astronauts and ground support personnel. That, in fact, is the sole reason for having wake-up music; and it is the reason that NASA management has neither attempted to dictate its content nor allowed outside interests to influence the process.”
The Apollo 10 song list in 1969 included Tony Bennett’s &#8220;The Best Is Yet To Come&#8221; and Sinatra’s &#8220;It&#8217;s Nice to Go Trav&#8217;ling&#8221; and &#8220;Come Fly With Me.”
Several missions chose Dean Martin&#8217;s &#8220;Houston&#8221; for their last day in space, which includes the repeating lyric &#8220;Goin&#8217; back to Houston” and conveys a sense of longing for home and comfort. So far, NASA has not revealed the last day playlist for Artemis II.

FD07_for photo tv

Wake Up Like An Astronaut: Artemis II Playlist Just Dropped

General

Outer Space

U.S.

Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman said it was a “surreal” and inspiring experience to be completely cut off from Earth for about 40 minutes while the Orion spacecraft rounded the far side of the Moon.
Wiseman made the comments during a media call from space on Wednesday night as he and his fellow astronauts continued their journey back to Earth. During their record-breaking journey around the Moon on Tuesday, communications were temporarily lost when the Moon blocked radio signals between Orion and NASA. The communication disruption was expected.
“I&#8217;m actually getting chills right now,” Wiseman told reporters. “My palms are sweating, but it is amazing to watch your home planet disappear behind the Moon.&#8221;
He described watching Earth gradually vanish from view as the spacecraft moved along the Moon&#8217;s far side.
&#8220;You could see the atmosphere, you could actually see the terrain in the Moon, projected across the Earth as the Earth was eclipsing behind the Moon. It was really, it was just an unbelievable sight. And then it was gone.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
LIVE: Artemis II astronauts answer media questions as they continue their journey toward Earth following their record-breaking lunar flyby. <a href="https://t.co/iAN74RMaRk">https://t.co/iAN74RMaRk</a>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/2042071557938323456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Communication was restored once Orion emerged from behind the Moon.
After regaining contact, Wiseman said the crew paused briefly to take in the moment before continuing their scientific observations. 
“We shared maple cookies that [astronaut Jeremy Hansen] had brought, and we took about three or four minutes, just as a crew, to really reflect on where we were, and then it was right back into the science,” he said. “And it is a surreal feeling, but we had a lot of work to do, too, and I think that kept our focus.”
Wiseman also reflected on an emotional moment during the mission, when the crew named a lunar crater after his late wife, Carroll, who died of cancer in 2020. That moment came shortly after the astronauts surpassed the distance record set by Apollo 13 in 1970.
“We all pretty much broke down right there, and just for me personally, that was kind of the pinnacle moment of the mission for me,” Wiseman said. “That was, I think, where the four of us were the most forged, the most bonded, and we came out of that really focused on that day ahead.”
The Orion spacecraft is expected to splash down Friday in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego at around 8:07 p.m. EST.

MixCollage-09-Apr-2026-09-38-AM-5832

The ‘Surreal’ Moment Artemis II Lost All Contact With Earth

Four days into the Artemis II space mission, the crew captured a stunning photo of the far side of the moon.
The image, which features the <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/moon/lunar-craters/the-explosive-history-of-orientale-basin/">Orientale Basin</a>, “marks the first time the entire basin has been seen with human eyes,” according to NASA.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
History in the making
In this new image from our <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAArtemis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASAArtemis</a> II crew, you can see Orientale basin on the right edge of the lunar disk. This mission marks the first time the entire basin has been seen with human eyes. <a href="https://t.co/iqjod6gqgz">pic.twitter.com/iqjod6gqgz</a>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/2040647522276802773?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The photo of the moon was released just days after the crew of the Artemis II — Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen — shared spectacular images of Earth.
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These two images were taken by <a href="https://twitter.com/astro_reid?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@astro_reid</a> only minutes apart. The stark difference is the result of camera settings. In the first, a longer shutter speed let in much more light from Earth, while the shorter shutter speed in the second emphasizes our planet&#8217;s nighttime glow. <a href="https://t.co/4H5gFymlcl">pic.twitter.com/4H5gFymlcl</a>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/2040114143626244576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
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While Artemis II will not touch down on the lunar surface, the mission lays the groundwork for more launches. Artemis III is scheduled to launch in 2027 and <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-iii/">will test</a> “rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and commercial spacecraft needed to land astronauts on the Moon.” Artemis IV is scheduled to launch in 2028, and will finally bring mankind back to the surface of the moon after more than 50 years.
On Sunday, NASA posted a &#8220;last look&#8221; at Earth before the Artemis II crew reach the moon.
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One last look at Earth before we reach the Moon.
This view of the Earth was captured on April 5, the fourth day of the Artemis II mission, from inside the Orion spacecraft. The four astronauts will reach their closest approach of the Moon tomorrow, April 6. <a href="https://t.co/z2NJUGWkKc">pic.twitter.com/z2NJUGWkKc</a>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/2040899704293052514?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2026</a></blockquote>
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“Artemis II is a test flight, and the test has just begun. The team that built this vehicle, repaired it, and prepared it for flight has given our crew the machine they need to go prove what it can do,” <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/liftoff-nasa-launches-astronauts-on-historic-artemis-moon-mission/">said</a> NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya. “Over the next 10 days, Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy will put Orion through its paces so the crews who follow them can go to the Moon’s surface with confidence. We are one mission into a long campaign, and the work ahead of us is greater than the work behind us.”
NASA’s long-term plan is to create a permanent American presence on the moon by building bases. Additionally, by the end of 2028, NASA is <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-unveils-initiatives-to-achieve-americas-national-space-policy/">scheduled to launch</a> the unmanned “Space Reactor‑1 Freedom, the first nuclear powered interplanetary spacecraft,&#8221; to Mars.

Artemis II Crew

Astronauts Reveal Something No Human Has Ever Seen On Far Side Of Moon

I don’t usually bother with celebrity news because I like to think my audience is too smart and sophisticated for that. But of course, that’s ridiculous. I mean, look at you. So today, we’re going to catch up on the shenanigans of the famous, rich, and powerful, because it’s degrading and wastes precious moments of our lives, and that’s what <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/hosts/andrew-klavan?elementPosition=6&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Hosts&amp;rowType=Hosts+Portrait+Carousel">The Andrew Klavan Show</a> is all about.
So let’s get started.
According to the Daily Mail, Byron Noem, the husband of former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, has been secretly posting pictures of himself online wearing women’s hot pink underwear and enormous fake breasts. Kristi Noem said she was absolutely devastated to discover her husband was a Democrat, but she did feel that this might explain how she could sleep with Corey Lewandowski and consider it an upgrade. President Trump said he felt sorry for the Noem family, although he congratulated Byron on having such a nice rack.
Champion philanderer Tiger Woods, while apparently under the influence of drugs and alcohol, rolled his car over, after clipping a truck. Woods told police his life was full of so much sex and success and money that only abusing substances could keep him from sinking into despair. He was charged with three counts of driving while being an ungrateful schmuck.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/hosts/andrew-klavan?elementPosition=6&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Hosts&amp;rowType=Hosts+Portrait+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-974735 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Klavan-watch-now-1024x171.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Klavan-watch-now-1024x171.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Klavan-watch-now-300x50.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Klavan-watch-now-768x128.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Klavan-watch-now-1536x256.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Klavan-watch-now.jpg 1800w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
Shapely, semi-attractive Australian actress Milly Alcock has been cast to star in the $300 million DC studio film &#8220;Supergirl.&#8221; Alcock told Vanity Fair that the role “definitely made me aware that simply existing as a woman in that space is something that people comment on. We have become very comfortable having this weird ownership of women’s bodies.” 
The comment won Alcock the coveted Rachel Zegler award — a bronze statuette of a mouth without a brain attached, that is given to the shapely, semi-attractive actress most likely to tank a studio’s investment while under the delusion that people want to hear her opinions. Medical experts say this delusion is often brought on by men telling women they are interested in their opinions and women thinking that means men are interested in their opinions.
Robert De Niro, Bruce Springsteen and Jane Fonda were among the thousands of doddering old white people who shuffled out to the latest &#8220;No Kings&#8221; rallies, which must’ve been held to celebrate the fact that we have no kings, because otherwise they just don’t make any sense. De Niro and Springsteen got together to reminisce about how they made millions of dollars by simply saying a meaningless phrase over and over again, like “You talking to me?” or “Born in the USA.” Springsteen said he could not believe that Boomers had been gullible enough to pay them for doing something so monotonous, but it gave him hope that Boomers might also be stupid enough to take the &#8220;No Kings&#8221; rallies seriously.
Black, gay, transgender actor Billy Porter was also at a &#8220;No Kings&#8221; rally, where he complained that black, gay, transgender actors are having a hard time finding work because — Donald Trump. Personally, I find this story kind of confusing. I mean, if you’re transgender and gay, isn’t that the same as being straight? Like, Billy Porter is a man who thinks he’s a woman, but he’s gay, so he’s a woman attracted to other women, so he’s really just a man who’s attracted to women. In which case, it seems possible the reason Billy Porter can’t find work isn’t because Donald Trump but because Billy Porter is an irritating no-talent.
Finally, Lindsey Graham and the rest of the Senate got to go on vacation to rest up after grueling weeks of doing absolutely nothing. Graham was later photographed wandering around Disney World’s Fantasyland with a Little Mermaid Bubble Wand. Lest anyone get the impression Graham is a sad old queen who wanders around Fantasyland with a bubble wand, the senator immediately issued a macho photograph of himself firing a shotgun. The Little Mermaid’s slug-riddled body was subsequently found in a pool of her own bubbles.
Fantasyland Police are still searching for Graham and, in fact, for the rest of the Senate, hoping to bring them back to Washington D.C. where they can pass intelligent, useful legislation. Because this is Fantasyland.
* * *
This excerpt is taken from the opening satirical monologue of “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/the-andrew-klavan-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Andrew Klavan Show</a>.”
Andrew Klavan is the host of “The Andrew Klavan Show” at The Daily Wire. Klavan is the bestselling author of numerous books, including the Cameron Winter Mystery series. The fifth installment, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/After-That-Cameron-Winter-Mysteries/dp/1613166869/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3EGZUC370LG46&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Y_NI0mDOKeowShheDQTVx5NH-fAeimJoCD56_T0Acpl8C0mup7uJf-nGGSRLEItaaekoDnvS2vWLMa4Zd2UBXQ8Y-g-P502jOWz-Y8IX3ZQsdlO7WMLrg1xIhNoKmjCorSWUR4C2l_RbiZ7apJ1MfPzGOrrEf7AdAXX6xwnJRVP_XqUfWuMuVthTWscaU3P4vgmS86-96n-721enHfX12CFQWTajqFbVnrsDkexfUf4.6_gTH6h1Bb9Pn375QdF_VAVZSayDvjQBBKGXE-MTiFo&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=klavan&amp;qid=1754049918&amp;sprefix=%2Caps%2C80&amp;sr=8-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">After That, The Dark,</a> is NOW AVAILABLE. Follow him on X: <a href="https://x.com/andrewklavan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@andrewklavan</a>.

Klavan springsteen de niro

Celebrity Culture Just Handed Us A Few More Reasons To Roll Our Eyes

Andrew Klavan

Bruce Springsteen

Celebrities

Protests

Robert de Niro

Satire

The Artemis II mission is officially headed to the Moon after NASA gave the go-ahead for its Orion spacecraft to leave Earth&#8217;s orbit for the next stage of its historic space mission. 
Orion fired its main engine at 7:49 p.m. EST on Thursday, sending the four astronauts aboard out of Earth’s orbit and onto a trajectory toward the Moon. The crew is set to travel around the Moon and could venture farther than any humans have since the Apollo 13 mission in 1970. 
“Nominal translunar injection burn complete. The Artemis II crew is officially on the way to the Moon,” <a href="https://x.com/NASAAdmin/status/2039857997556416676">said</a> NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “America is back in the business of sending astronauts to the Moon. This time, farther than ever before.”
On Friday morning, NASA posted a picture showing the view of the astronauts from Orion as they continued toward the moon.
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Good morning, world! 🌎
We have spectacular new high-resolution images of our home planet, all of us looking back through the Orion capsule window at our Artemis II astronauts as they continue their journey to the Moon. <a href="https://t.co/QjxGfWiRcS">pic.twitter.com/QjxGfWiRcS</a>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/2040059740848283920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
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As Orion departed Earth’s orbit, the four astronauts spoke from space in a broadcast from NASA to ABC and Fox News. Commander Reid Wiseman, who is leading the mission, began by giving a shout-out to the astronauts&#8217; families. 
“There was a moment about an hour ago where Mission Control Houston reoriented our spacecraft as the sun was setting behind the Earth,” he said from the spacecraft while answering questions from ABC News during the broadcast. “And I don&#8217;t know what we all expected to see in that moment, but you could see the entire globe from pole to pole. You could see Africa, Europe, and if you looked really close, you could see the Northern Lights.  It was the most spectacular moment, and it paused all four of us in our tracks.”
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Wiseman said the astronauts had a busy first few days and that the magnitude of the mission was only starting to set in. He said they had only taken two very quick naps during the first 30 hours of the mission and had only just eaten their first meal together. 
“We had been to the moon before in 1969, 1968 through 1972. It&#8217;s been a long time since we&#8217;ve been back. And I got to tell you, there is nothing normal about this.  Sending four humans 250,000 miles away is a herculean effort, and we are now just realizing the gravity of that,” he said. 
The other astronauts on the mission are pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen. 
Koch said she hoped any milestone reached by the Artemis II crew would be surpassed by future missions when asked by Fox News reporter Trace Gallagher about the historic reach of the mission. 
“We think that the journey that we&#8217;ve been on, and all of our teams have been on with us, is so much more than just one number, but we also hope that that number just keeps being exceeded and exceeded by the future crews,” she said. 
&#8220;It has been a great couple of days, just learning how to live in Orion,&#8221; Koch told Gallagher. &#8220;Living in Orion isn&#8217;t quite the same as being at home with our families, but, yes, some of the exciting things are the burns that we do.  They kick off with such an acceleration that most things that you see velcroed around that aren&#8217;t actually fastened down, all fall down to the floor of Orion.&#8221;
Koch noted that she was sleeping with her head toward the &#8220;floor&#8221; of Orion.
&#8220;There is no difference between up and down, and so, yes, I&#8217;ve been sleeping with my feet there and my head down here, and it&#8217;s very comfortable,&#8221; she said.
NASA has said that the mission has gone smoothly so far, apart from a brief loss of two-way communications between ground control and the crew due to an issue on the ground. 
Crew members are currently preparing a “lunar targeting plan,” which will guide their observations of the Moon’s surface during a six-hour window on Monday.

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Artemis II Astronauts Send Message From Space As They Head To The Moon

Air and Space

World

NASA successfully launched the Artemis II mission Wednesday evening, sending four astronauts on a historic journey toward the Moon, marking the first crewed lunar mission in more than 50 years and a major milestone in America’s return to deep space exploration.
“Let me begin by congratulating the team at NASA and our brave astronauts on the successful launch of Artemis 2 — it was quite something,” President Donald Trump said at the start of an address following Wednesday’s liftoff. “It will be traveling further than any manned rocket has ever flown … They are on the way and God bless them. These are brave people. God bless those four unbelievable astronauts.”
The Space Launch System rocket lifted off from Kennedy Space Center at 6:35 p.m. EDT, carrying NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen aboard the Orion spacecraft. The launch followed days of final preparations and capped a buildup the White House framed as part of “America’s destiny” in space.
About an hour after liftoff, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman underscored the significance of the moment in a brief post on X, writing, “America’s next leap is underway. Godspeed Artemis II.”
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America’s next leap is underway.. 
Godspeed Artemis II 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/x87WuRm9jA">pic.twitter.com/x87WuRm9jA</a>
— NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman (@NASAAdmin) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAAdmin/status/2039489945866215616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Within minutes of liftoff, Orion reached orbit and successfully deployed its solar arrays, allowing the spacecraft to begin drawing power from the sun. Mission teams quickly transitioned the capsule into flight operations, beginning a series of system checks that will determine the next phase of the mission.
Now that Artemis II is underway, the focus shifts to what comes next. In the first phase of flight, Orion will spend roughly 24 hours in a high-Earth orbit, looping approximately 43,700 miles above the planet. This extended orbit gives astronauts and engineers time to test critical systems, including life support, deep-space communications, and the spacecraft’s maneuverability. 
The crew is also expected to conduct early demonstrations of docking capabilities, an essential component for future missions. If any major issues arise during this phase, NASA retains the option to bring the astronauts home early.
Assuming systems remain stable, Orion will perform a key engine burn to push the spacecraft out of Earth’s orbit and begin its journey to the Moon. That maneuver is expected to send the crew on a three-day trajectory into what NASA calls the Moon’s “sphere of influence,” where lunar gravity begins to dominate.
During the outbound journey, astronauts will continue testing onboard systems, including next-generation spacesuits designed to sustain life for up to six days in the event of cabin depressurization, part of the mission’s broader goal of validating systems for future deep-space travel.
By Monday, the crew is expected to reach the Moon, where they will conduct a multi-hour flyby. The spacecraft will pass more than 4,000 miles above the lunar surface, offering a rare view of the Moon’s far side, regions that have never been directly observed by human eyes under these lighting conditions. From Orion, the Moon is expected to appear roughly the size of a basketball held at arm’s length.
At its farthest point, Artemis II will travel approximately 252,799 miles from Earth, farther than any human mission in history, surpassing the record set during Apollo 13.
The mission will follow a “free return” trajectory, a safety measure that uses the Moon’s gravity to naturally guide the spacecraft back toward Earth. This path ensures the crew could return home even in the event of a propulsion system failure.
Following the lunar flyby, Orion will begin its return journey, which is expected to take about four days. The mission is scheduled to conclude with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on April 10, where recovery teams will retrieve the crew.
NASA officials emphasized after launch that, despite its historic nature, Artemis II remains a test mission above all else. “This is a test mission,” Isaacman said during a press conference after the launch. “We’ll call it a success when they’re in the water safely, and then we’ll start working on the next mission.”
Officials also noted a minor communications issue during launch, clarifying in during the press conference that it originated on the ground and did not impact the rocket or spacecraft.
The mission builds on earlier Artemis I testing and represents a critical step toward NASA’s long-term goals: returning astronauts to the lunar surface and establishing a sustained human presence on the Moon, with eventual missions to Mars.
“This is America and our partners’ return to the Moon,” Isaacman said. For now, with a successful and safe launch, Artemis II enters its most critical phase, not just reaching the Moon, but proving that the systems designed to carry humans deeper into space are ready for what comes next.

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Artemis Successfully Launched To The Moon. What’s Next?

Aerospace

The White House announced Wednesday that the Artemis II space mission, the first crewed flight to travel around the Moon in more than 50 years, is a mission for &#8220;all humanity&#8221; and part of &#8220;America&#8217;s destiny&#8221; to explore the universe.   
The mission is set to lift off from the Kennedy Space Center at 6:24 p.m. ET. Four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft will embark on a 10-day journey around the Moon and back, traveling as far as 252,000 miles from Earth, farther than any humans have gone since the Apollo 13 mission in 1970.  
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&#8220;It is America&#8217;s destiny to be at the forefront of humanity&#8217;s eternal quest for knowledge, and to be the leader amongst nations on our adventure into the great unknown. The human soul yearns for discovery by unlocking the mysteries of the universe,&#8221; said President Donald Trump in a video posted by the White House on the Artemis II launch. &#8220;We&#8217;re a nation of pioneers, and the next great American frontiers is space and we never competed. Now we start again.&#8221;
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TODAY. 🚀
ARTEMIS II. AROUND THE MOON FOR ALL HUMANITY. <a href="https://t.co/A509PHghY8">pic.twitter.com/A509PHghY8</a>
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/2039349547181207910?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2026</a></blockquote>
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NASA has invited the public to watch the mission in real time, posting live video of the preparations for the mission.
“Artemis II waits on the pad, ready to carry astronauts potentially farther than any humans have traveled in more than half a century. The next era of exploration begins,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said ahead of the mission. 
The crew is led by Commander Reid Wiseman, a former Navy test pilot, joined by pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen. 
“Nothing but gratitude for the men and women of this great nation. It is time to fly,” Wiseman said in a social media post. 
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Nothing but gratitude for the men and women of this great nation. It is time to fly. <a href="https://t.co/n1TGuNt7s9">pic.twitter.com/n1TGuNt7s9</a>
— Reid Wiseman (@astro_reid) <a href="https://twitter.com/astro_reid/status/2039125242010890255?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2026</a></blockquote>
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In the final hours before blast off, the launch crew began standard preparations, including cooling the rocket’s plumbing and engine systems and loading propellants into the Space Launch System, which will carry Orion into space. 
The countdown, which began Monday, entered a scheduled hold on Wednesday morning for final system checks. 
“Engineers perform final configuration checks, review system health, and ensure all launch criteria are met. It’s also a window for resolving any minor issues without impacting the overall timeline,” NASA <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/missions/2026/04/01/live-artemis-ii-launch-day-updates/">said</a> in an update. “These holds are standard in complex missions like Artemis II, providing flexibility and confidence as we prepare to send astronauts on a journey around the Moon.”
NASA&#8217;s Artemis program aims to return astronauts to the Moon and establish a long-term human presence. A follow-up mission, scheduled for 2027, will test lunar landing systems developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin, with a goal of landing astronauts as early as 2028.

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America Attempts Longest Journey Ever From Earth As Artemis II Is Officially Underway

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