NASA&#8217;s Orion capsule has successfully landed in a splashdown off the Mexican island of Guadalupe after nearly 26 days of travel to the Moon and back.
The voyage was part of Artemis I, a series of missions developing human exploration of the Moon and Mars.
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Splashdown! 🪂💦<a href="https://twitter.com/NASA_Orion?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASA_Orion</a> has returned, concluding the nearly 26-day <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Artemis?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Artemis</a> I mission that took Orion from <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAKennedy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASAKennedy</a>&#39;s Launch Pad 39B to a record-breaking 268,563 miles from Earth, into lunar orbit then landing safely in the Pacific Ocean.
Congrats, Orion! Go Artemis! <a href="https://t.co/b4gY3pgwyl">pic.twitter.com/b4gY3pgwyl</a>
&mdash; Boeing Space (@BoeingSpace) <a href="https://twitter.com/BoeingSpace/status/1602002581043441664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The Orion spacecraft separated from its service module at 11:00 a.m. CT in preparation for return to the Earth. The service module burned up in the atmosphere upon re-entry, while Orion descended over the Pacific Ocean in a parachute-guided splashdown.
&#8220;Parachute deployment begins at an altitude of about five miles with three small parachutes pulling the forward bay covers away,&#8221; NASA explained in a <a href="https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/2022/12/11/artemis-i-flight-day-26-orion-crew-module-separation-from-service-module-complete/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a>. &#8220;Once the forward bay cover separates, two drogue parachutes will slow and stabilize the crew module for main parachute deployment. At an altitude of 9,500 feet and a spacecraft speed of 130 mph, three pilot parachutes will lift and deploy the main parachutes to slow Orion to a landing speed that ensures astronaut safety for crewed missions.&#8221;
After landing in the ocean, the module was expected to undergo testing and be transported to the U.S. Naval Base San Diego for inspection. A post-mission news conference is scheduled for later on Sunday.
On December 5, Orion completed its final moon fly-by before beginning its return to Earth. Before the final passing of the lunar surface, Orion traveled around the Moon on a trip longer than any spacecraft designed to carry humans has flown. The full trip surpassed more than 1.3 million miles.
As The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-nasa-moon-rocket-lifts-off-50-years-after-last-apollo-mission" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>, NASA’s Orion spacecraft headed toward the Moon in the first lunar rocket launch since the last Apollo mission 50 years ago.
The Artemis I mission launched the Space Launch System (SLS), the most powerful rocket in the world, in an uncrewed flight at 1:47 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, November 16, from Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
“What an incredible sight to see NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft launch together for the first time. This uncrewed flight test will push Orion to the limits in the rigors of deep space, helping us prepare for human exploration on the Moon and, ultimately, Mars,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/liftoff-nasa-s-artemis-i-mega-rocket-launches-orion-to-moon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> following the successful liftoff.
The Artemis project has been in preparation for more than a decade as NASA seeks to return humans to the Moon.
Artemis II, scheduled for 2024, is the next step in NASA&#8217;s plan to send humans in a spaceflight around the Moon in 2024. Artemis III, slated for 2025, is expected to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon&#8217;s surface.
WATCH:
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Orion

NASA’s Artemis I Successfully Returns From Moon Mission

Air and Space

Moon

NASA

Space

U.S.

NASA&#8217;s Orion spacecraft is on its way to the Moon in the first lunar rocket launch since the last Apollo mission 50 years ago.
The Artemis I mission launched the Space Launch System (SLS), the most powerful rocket in the world, in an uncrewed flight at 1:47 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday from Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
“What an incredible sight to see NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft launch together for the first time. This uncrewed flight test will push Orion to the limits in the rigors of deep space, helping us prepare for human exploration on the Moon and, ultimately, Mars,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/liftoff-nasa-s-artemis-i-mega-rocket-launches-orion-to-moon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> following the successful liftoff.
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Artemis?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Artemis</a> I, you are going to the Moon! 
At 1:47 am EST the <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA_SLS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASA_SLS</a> rocket and <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA_Orion?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASA_Orion</a> spacecraft launched from Florida to make its 280,000-mile journey to the Moon. Still to come we have coverage of major milestones, an inside look of Mission Control, and more. <a href="https://t.co/2SLQSrOSXc">pic.twitter.com/2SLQSrOSXc</a>
&mdash; NASA&#39;s Johnson Space Center (@NASA_Johnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA_Johnson/status/1592781241958662151?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The lunar mission will take more than 25 days to visit the Moon and return to Earth in a key test ahead of the next planned mission to send American astronauts to the Moon within the next three years.
Jim Free, NASA deputy associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, celebrated the liftoff of Orion.
“It’s taken a lot to get here, but Orion is now on its way to the Moon,” Free said in the statement from NASA. “This successful launch means NASA and our partners are on a path to explore farther in space than ever before for the benefit of humanity.”
NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston will conduct the mission over the next several days, with Orion expected to near the surface of the Moon on November 21.
The launch was highly celebrated after multiple delays since August. The initial attempt was stopped following a faulty temperature sensor. A launch one week later was also scrapped after discovering a liquid hydrogen leak.
As The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nasa-scrubs-2nd-attempt-at-moon-rocket-launch-after-another-fuel-leak" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>, the launch team had just begun filling Artemis I with nearly one million gallons of fuel early in the morning when they noticed the leak at the bottom of the rocket in the engine section, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/astronomy-space-launches-exploration-science-9a89bb77af17be3e3b5891a0b224ac69">reported</a>. Ground crews did their best to stop the leak and save the launch, attempting to stop and restart the flow of liquid hydrogen and flushing helium through the fuel line, but ultimately were forced to reschedule the mission.
Weather threats due to Hurricane Ian further delayed the Artemis I project that has involved the work of several thousand people worldwide.
The Artemis missions seek to eventually land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon with efforts to establish a long-term presence on the lunar surface in preparation for a future Mars mission.
NASA’s ambitious goals are not the only plans for reaching the Moon. Russia and China have also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/russia-and-china-partner-up-to-build-research-station-on-moon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that they would collaborate on a future moon mission, while Elon Musk’s SpaceX is <a href="https://time.com/person-of-the-year-2021-elon-musk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">developing</a> a project for a future lunar landing.

Artemis

New NASA Moon Rocket Lifts Off 50 Years After Last Apollo Mission

Florida

America&#8217;s Election Day will include a &#8220;blood moon&#8221; and the last total lunar eclipse for three years.
The eclipse will be visible from four continents, including North America, Asia, Australia, and parts of South America.
A lunar eclipse occurs when the sun, Earth, and moon align with the moon passing into the Earth&#8217;s shadow, <a href="https://moon.nasa.gov/news/185/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-lunar-eclipse/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> NASA. When the moon is within the Earth&#8217;s shadow, called the umbra, it exhibits a reddish color, leading to the name of a &#8220;Blood Moon.&#8221;
A similar action causes our sky to appear blue and sunsets red. The phenomenon, called Rayleigh scattering, occurs as light travels in waves, with blue light having a shorter wavelength and scattering more easily in the Earth&#8217;s atmosphere.
Red light travels more directly through the Earth&#8217;s atmosphere, NASA explains, causing the sun to appear red, orange, or yellow at sunset when the light must pass through more atmosphere and travel farther.
Scientists note that no special equipment is necessary to view the lunar eclipse. A telescope or binoculars can enhance the view, along with observing the eclipse in an area away from bright lights.
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There are plenty of reasons to watch the skies in November: a total lunar eclipse, the Leonid meteors, and chances to see Mars, Saturn, and the star Spica! Check out the best times to spot these celestial bodies: <a href="https://t.co/hmYGKio4Mq">pic.twitter.com/hmYGKio4Mq</a>
&mdash; NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1587871624329515009?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2022</a></blockquote>
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NASA&#8217;s <a href="https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a005000/a005033/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scientific Visualization Studio</a> can calculate the best times to view the lunar eclipse in a person&#8217;s local area. Totality will be visible in the early morning hours before moonset in all of North and Central America, in addition to the early evening after moonrise in Asia and Australia.
The moon will begin to enter the outer part of the Earth&#8217;s shadow on Tuesday at approximately 3 am EST. The period of totality will last for nearly an hour and a half, or 5:17 am until 6:42 am Eastern Standard Time.
“It’s a wonderful reminder of this really special connection between the Earth, the moon and the sun,” <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/11/04/total-lunar-eclipse-blood-moon/?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=wp_main" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Noah Petro, a scientist with the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Project at NASA. “Every eclipse is special because they’re all wonderful opportunities to go out and look at the moon, our nearest neighbor in space.&#8221;
Following Tuesday&#8217;s eclipse, the next total lunar eclipse will not occur until March 14, 2025.
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On November 8, 2022, the Moon will pass into Earth’s shadow and turn red. This will be the last total lunar eclipse for about 3 years, so be sure to check it out if it’s visible in your area. 
Learn more: <a href="https://t.co/zetjapudzV">https://t.co/zetjapudzV</a> <a href="https://t.co/PJ0AuQrfEC">pic.twitter.com/PJ0AuQrfEC</a>
&mdash; NASA Moon (@NASAMoon) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAMoon/status/1585638035710148608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The occurrence of a blood-red moon has been recorded from biblical times. The prophet Joel referred to the phenomenon in the Old Testament or Hebrew Bible, The New Testament book of Acts also quoted Joel&#8217;s prediction of the moon turning to blood.
In recent years, some religious writers have referred to the blood moon as a sign of the end times. Evangelist John Hagee published a book titled &#8220;Four Blood Moons,&#8221; referring to a grouping of red moons in 2014-2015.
The <a href="https://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2014/04/14/whats-up-with-the-blood-moons-prophecies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sequence</a> of four consecutive blood moons, also called a tetrad, has occurred several times before, in 1909-10, 1927-28, 1949-50, 1967-68, 1985-86, and 2003-04. The next lunar tetrads will occur in 2032-33 and 2043-44.

Blood moon

Blood Moon To Appear During Lunar Eclipse On Election Day

2022 Midterms

Science

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nasa">NASA</a>’s unmanned flight to the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/moon">Moon</a> was stopped for the second time before launch Saturday after a fuel leak was discovered on the 322-foot Artemis I rocket.
Saturday’s leak is the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nasas-unmanned-moon-launch-halted-after-fuel-leak">second</a> found on the rocket this week right before a scheduled launch. Artemis I, the most powerful rocket NASA has ever built, was initially scheduled for launch on Monday, but a leak of highly explosive oxygen stopped the rocket and pushed its scheduled takeoff to Saturday.
“We’ll go when it’s ready. We don’t go until then and especially now on a test flight, because we’re going to stress this and test it &#8230; and make sure it’s right before we put four humans up on the top of it,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWAA5P-iFJs&amp;t=23197s">said</a> following Saturday&#8217;s scrub, adding, “This is part of our space program: Be ready for the scrubs.”
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The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Artemis?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Artemis</a> I mission to the Moon has been postponed. Teams attempted to fix an issue related to a leak in the hardware transferring fuel into the rocket, but were unsuccessful. Join NASA leaders later today for a news conference. Check for updates: <a href="https://t.co/6LVDrA1toy">https://t.co/6LVDrA1toy</a> <a href="https://t.co/LgXnjCy40u">pic.twitter.com/LgXnjCy40u</a>
&mdash; NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1566083321502830594?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 3, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The launch team had just begun filling Artemis I with nearly one million gallons of fuel early in the morning when they noticed the leak at the bottom of the rocket in the engine section, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/astronomy-space-launches-exploration-science-9a89bb77af17be3e3b5891a0b224ac69">reported</a>. Nelson said the impending repairs to the rocket could delay its launch into October if they are extensive, since Artemis I would likely be removed from the launch pad and moved back into its hangar.
Ground crews did their best to stop the leak and save the launch, attempting to stop and restart the flow of liquid hydrogen and flushing helium through the fuel line, but to no avail, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/astronomy-space-launches-exploration-science-9a89bb77af17be3e3b5891a0b224ac69">according</a> to the AP.
The highly anticipated launch earlier in the week came to a disappointing end as the rocket’s bleed test issues forced the launch to abort Monday morning, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nasas-unmanned-moon-launch-halted-after-fuel-leak">reported</a>. The Artemis mission from NASA plans to land the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon. The space program also intends to “collaborate with commercial and international partners and establish the first long-term presence on the Moon.”
NASA wants to send Artemis I into the Moon’s orbit for a five-week demo with test dummies as it prepares to send astronauts back to fly around the Moon in 2024 and land on it in 2025.
Dillon Burroughs contributed to this report.

Artemis I Rocket

NASA Scrubs 2nd Attempt At Moon Rocket Launch After Another Fuel Leak

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nasa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NASA&#8217;s</a> scheduled launch of its unmanned <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/space" target="_blank" rel="noopener">space</a> flight to the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/moon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Moon</a> was halted after engineers discovered a fuel leak.
The highly anticipated event came to a disappointing end as the rocket&#8217;s bleed test issues forced the launch to abort Monday morning.
“The launch director halted today’s Artemis I launch attempt at approximately 8:34 a.m. EDT. The Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft remain in a safe and stable configuration,” NASA <a href="https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/2022/08/29/launch-attempt-scrubbed/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> 20 minutes after the originally scheduled launch time.
“Launch controllers were continuing to evaluate why a bleed test to get the RS-25 engines on the bottom of the core stage to the proper temperature range for liftoff was not successful, and ran out of time in the two-hour launch window. Engineers are continuing to gather additional data,” it added.
A leak of highly explosive hydrogen appears <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nasa-moon-rocket-launch-63e9e863f294968af8869950909a212c?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">related</a> to a similar issue discovered in June. NASA thought the leak had been fixed but spotted concerns early Monday that could not be immediately addressed.
The launch had already been delayed by nearly an hour due to thunderstorms near the Florida Kennedy Space Center. The leak set the schedule beyond the two-hour time window, forcing a reschedule of the Artemis I rocket.
The next launch attempt will not occur until at least Friday, the first of two scheduled backup dates for the mission. September 5 will serve as the third date if needed.
The mission is set to <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis-i-press-kit/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">run</a> for more than 42 days, traveling 1.3 million miles from Earth to the Moon. The Orion spacecraft that sits upon the Space Launch System will separate from the propulsion stage approximately two hours after launch.
Orion will deploy 10 small satellites, called CubeSats, to study the Moon and other space destinations. The spacecraft will then orbit the Moon to test communications and flight requirements ahead of a future human launch.
The Artemis I mission serves as a key part of the U.S. sending astronauts back to the surface of the Moon and beyond. The last human Moon landing took place in 1972.
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NASA’s Artemis I is the precursor to the Artemis II that is on pace to launch for the first time in 2024. The space agency has its sights set on <a href="https://www.space.com/artemis-moon-landing-likely-slip-to-2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">humans</a> returning to the Moon’s surface in 2025 or 2026.
As The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nasas-artemis-moon-rocket-mission-scheduled-for-august-in-first-step-toward-humans-returning-to-moon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>, the Artemis mission from NASA <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plans</a> to land the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon. The space program also intends to “collaborate with commercial and international partners and establish the first long-term presence on the Moon.”
The Artemis mission also extends beyond the Moon. NASA plans to “use what we learn on and around the Moon to take the next giant leap: sending the first astronauts to Mars.”
NASA&#8217;s ambitious goals are not the only plans for reaching the Moon. Russia and China have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/russia-and-china-partner-up-to-build-research-station-on-moon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> plans for a future Moon mission together, while Elon Musk&#8217;s SpaceX is <a href="https://time.com/person-of-the-year-2021-elon-musk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">developing</a> plans for a future lunar landing.

Artemis 1

NASA’s Unmanned Moon Launch Halted After Fuel Leak

NASA's Unmanned Moon Launch Halted After Fuel Leak

Legendary American astronaut Buzz Aldrin sold his white, Teflon-coated space jacket worn during his historic 1969 Apollo 11 mission to the moon for nearly $2.8 million on Tuesday at a Sotheby&#8217;s auction in New York.
Aldrin&#8217;s Inflight Coverall Jacket was one of the astronaut&#8217;s 69 lots he listed for sale during the auction and became the most valuable American space artifact ever sold at an auction by the fine arts company.
Aldrin, 92, spent most of his six-day journey wearing the piece separate from the spacesuit while flying to the moon and back inside the spacecraft Command Module Columbia with Commander Neil Armstrong and Command Module Pilot Michael Collins.
After 50 years holding onto the historic American artifact, Aldrin finally felt ready to say goodbye once and for all.
&#8220;After deep consideration, the time felt right to share these items with the world, which for many are symbols of a historical moment, but for me have always remained personal mementos of a life dedicated to science and exploration,&#8221; Aldrin said in a statement last week.
Sotheby&#8217;s said the exceptionally rare garment sold in under ten minutes after bidders chased the item until the buyer, who bid over the phone, made the highest offer and clinched the sale.
All but one of Aldrin&#8217;s 69 lots sold during Tuesday&#8217;s auction.
The lot included a tiny broken circuit switch that almost left the crew stranded on the moon and a dented aluminum pen used by the spaceman himself to rescue the team.
&#8220;I used a felt-tip pen and pushed it in, and Houston says, &#8216;Hooray, we got a live circuit!’” Aldrin <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://buzzaldrin.com/how-buzz-aldrin-used-a-felt-tip-pen-to-get-back-from-the-moon/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;Then we were ready to proceed with the countdown.&#8221;
The New York Times <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/26/science/space/buzz-aldrin-memorabilia-auction.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that auction officials expected it to sell for at $1 million, but bidding stalled at about $650,000.
Aldrin&#8217;s space memorabilia sold for approximately $8.2 million at Tuesday&#8217;s auction.
Other sold items included gold-colored lifetime passes to Major League Baseball games, an MTV Video Music Awards statuette the music network modeled after Aldrin forced into the moon&#8217;s surface, and a Presidential Medal of Freedom presented to him by President Nixon for his 240,000-mile re-entry to Earth.
Cassandra Hatton, a senior specialist at Sotheby&#8217;s, told The New York Times that she believed space artifacts that have traveled to the moon fascinate bidders because the items play a significant role in human history.
&#8220;It&#8217;s a moment that reminds us all what we can do,&#8221; she said. &#8220;We can achieve the near impossible, like we can escape our fate of being stuck on this planet. We can do amazing things.&#8221;
An estimated 650 million people worldwide witnessed on television the moment when Aldrin and Neil Armstrong became the first two people to walk on the moon.

US-AUCTION-SPACE

Legendary American Astronaut Buzz Aldrin’s Moon Jacket Auctions For $2.8 Million

Legendary American Astronaut Buzz Aldrin's Moon Jacket Auctions For $2.8 Million

SpaceX

NASA has announced the planned launch dates for its Artemis I rocket test flight around the Moon as it prepares for a future human mission to the lunar surface in 2025.
The dates of August 29, September 2, and September 5 will serve as placeholder times for the uncrewed flight to orbit the Moon, according to a NASA teleconference with media Wednesday.
&#8220;The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will be an uncrewed flight test that will provide a foundation for human exploration in deep space and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human existence to the Moon and eventually Mars,&#8221; according to a <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-to-discuss-status-of-artemis-i-moon-mission-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> from NASA.
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NOW: Teams give an update on the uncrewed <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Artemis?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Artemis</a> I mission to the Moon. <a href="https://t.co/Oi87IkFhqs">https://t.co/Oi87IkFhqs</a>
&mdash; NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1549772187304951814?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The announcement of the launch dates follows the team&#8217;s recent successful test or &#8220;dress rehearsal&#8221; that was necessary to move forward with the planned launch.
The media teleconference was held on the 53rd anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing in 1969, during which the first humans set foot on the Moon. According to a video released by NASA&#8217;s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, the astronauts&#8217; tracks are still detectable.
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It’s <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/InternationalMoonDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#InternationalMoonDay</a>! Today marks the anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing – the first time that humans stepped on the surface of another world. This video from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter shows the astronauts&#39; tracks, still there after all this time. <a href="https://t.co/LVDkFeEcYP">pic.twitter.com/LVDkFeEcYP</a>
&mdash; NASA Moon (@NASAMoon) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAMoon/status/1549787540147900417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The last human Moon landing occurred in 1972, with NASA now aggressively planning a return to its surface.
NASA&#8217;s Artemis I is the precursor to the Artemis II that is on pace to launch for the first time in 2024. The space agency has its sights set on <a href="https://www.space.com/artemis-moon-landing-likely-slip-to-2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">humans</a> returning to the Moon&#8217;s surface in 2025 or 2026.
The Artemis mission from NASA <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis/">plans</a> to land the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon. The space program also intends to &#8220;collaborate with commercial and international partners and establish the first long-term presence on the Moon.&#8221;
The Artemis mission extends beyond the Moon. NASA plans to &#8220;use what we learn on and around the Moon to take the next giant leap: sending the first astronauts to Mars.&#8221;
NASA is not the only program with its eyes on the Moon and beyond. SpaceX founder Elon Musk <a href="https://time.com/person-of-the-year-2021-elon-musk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a Time magazine article from December that he hopes to reach the Moon by 2023 and expressed a goal of humans reaching the red planet by the end of the decade.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who is behind the space company Blue Origin, is already working with NASA on the Blue Moon lander. Together with Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Draper, the groups are developing the human landing system with the <a href="https://www.blueorigin.com/blue-moon/hls-national-team/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">goal</a> of &#8220;returning Americans to the lunar surface, opening the Moon for business, and building a path to Mars.&#8221;
Internationally, China and Russia announced in 2021 that they intend to build a Moon base together, inviting other nations to join them. Last month, the BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-61511546" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that China has plans to put its first astronauts on the Moon and send a Mars sample return rover to the red planet by 2030.

Artemis I

NASA’s Artemis Moon Rocket Mission Scheduled For August In First Step Toward Humans Returning To Moon

Elon Musk

Jeff Bezos

Mars

A bus-sized <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/asteroid">asteroid</a> will make an unexpected and extremely close pass by Earth on Thursday, July 7.
According to calculations by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nasa">NASA</a>, the asteroid, 2022 NF, will come within 56,000 miles (90,000km) of the Earth at its closest approach, approximately 23% of the average distance between the Earth and the Moon. Referred to by <a href="https://weather.com/en-IN/india/space/news/2022-07-07-look-out-for-bus-sized-asteroid-fly-by-on-july-8-early-morning">The Weather Channel</a> as a “master of hide-and-seek,” 2022 NF was hitherto unknown until July 4, when it was discovered using data from the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (<a href="http://legacy.ifa.hawaii.edu/research/Pan-STARRS.shtml">Pan-STARRS</a>), a series of cameras and telescopes based in Hawaii and specializing in the detection and tracking of near-Earth objects (NEOs). Researchers analyzed that data to calculate the asteroid’s trajectory and approximate size, estimating that the object is between 18-41 feet (5.5-12.5m) long.
The asteroid does not fit NASA’s criteria for “potentially hazardous asteroid,” and the object is small enough that it would almost certainly burn up in the atmosphere if it entered Earth’s gravity well. “Potentially hazardous asteroids” typically must measure at least 460 feet (140m) long and pass within 4.6 million miles (7.5 million km) of the Earth at some point in its orbit. NASA and its international colleagues track thousands of NEOs, although only a handful of the larger ones are considered potentially dangerous if their trajectories change.
According to NASA, “Only once every few million years, an object large enough to threaten Earth&#8217;s civilization comes along.”
In November of 2021, NASA launched a spacecraft called the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), which is expected to collide with the 525-foot-long Dimorphous Asteroid in Autumn of 2022. The impact should leave the asteroid intact, but may alter the course of its orbit, and the mission is meant to determine how effective future asteroid deflection efforts may be, should the need arise.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-406065" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/2022NF_poster-300x203.jpg" alt="" width="613" height="415" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/07/2022NF_poster-300x203.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/07/2022NF_poster-851x576.jpg 851w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/07/2022NF_poster-768x520.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/07/2022NF_poster-1536x1040.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/07/2022NF_poster.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 613px) 100vw, 613px" /></div>
According to NASA’s small body database, 2022 NF will orbit the Sun once every 6 years.
The Virtual Telescope Project is live-streaming 2022 NF’s flyby of Earth throughout the day as a belated celebration of “Asteroid Day,” which took place a little over a week ago on June 30, and <a href="https://theskylive.com/2022nf-info">theskylive.com</a> is providing updates on its location in the sky throughout the day.

Asteroid Approaches Earth

Unexpected Asteroid Passing Really Close By Earth

Newly Discovered Asteroid Makes Close Pass By Earth

Asteroid

Who owns the Moon? Nobody. But China is making a play, at least according to the head of NASA.
China&#8217;s National Space Administration might be planning a &#8220;takeover&#8221; of the Moon as part of its military space program, NASA’s administrator Bill Nelson has <a href="https://www.bild.de/politik/inland/politik-inland/nasa-chef-schlaegt-alarm-chinesen-wollen-den-mond-besetzen-80490242.bild.html">told</a> the newspaper Bild.
&#8220;There is a new race to space &#8211; this time with China,&#8221; Nelson reportedly told the German outlet. &#8220;But Beijing&#8217;s plans go further: China is planning its own moon base &#8211; together with Russia!&#8221; the mag wrote.
&#8220;We must be very concerned that China is landing on the moon and saying: &#8216;It&#8217;s ours now and you stay out,'&#8221; the U.S. space agency chief reportedly said. &#8220;China&#8217;s space program is a military space program.&#8221;
In the interview, Nelson also charged that China was stealing technology from other countries and said Beijing is learning how to destroy or capture others&#8217; satellites.
China was not happy.
“This is not the first time for the chief of NASA to lie through his teeth and smear China,” said Zhao Lijian, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman,  <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-07-05/china-slams-nasa-administrator-bill-nelson-as-race-to-the-moon-gets-heated">according</a> to Bloomberg News. “In recent years the US openly defined space as a war-fighting domain.”
&#8220;The U.S. side has constantly constructed a smear campaign against China&#8217;s normal and reasonable outer space endeavours, and China firmly opposes such irresponsible remarks,&#8221; he <a href="https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/science/china-rejects-nasa-accusation-it-will-take-over-moon-2022-07-04/">said</a>.
China is stepping up its space program and focusing on exploration of the Moon. The communist nation landed an explorer on the dark side of the Moon in 2019 and is working on launching rockets powerful enough to send astronauts to the Moon by the end of the decade.
The war of words came as NASA dispatched a satellite to the Moon. Dubbed CAPSTONE (Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment), the spacecraft was launched a week ago from New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula by Rocket Lab. The satellite was set to orbit Earth for a while, then break away and use next to no internal energy as it makes its way to the Moon over the next four months.
“It’s probably going to take a while to sink in,&#8221; Rocket Lab founder Peter Beck <a href="https://apnews.com/article/space-launches-exploration-science-technology-peter-beck-d2748e44d427941f1352312ac954dd5d">told</a> The Associated Press. &#8220;It’s been a project that has taken us two, two-and-a-half years and is just incredibly, incredibly difficult to execute. So to see it all come together tonight and see that spacecraft on its way to the Moon, it’s just absolutely epic.”
The project cost $33 million, which, in the world of space exploration, is pocket change. “For some tens of millions of dollars, there is now a rocket and a spacecraft that can take you to the moon, to asteroids, to Venus, to Mars,” Beck said. “It’s an insane capability that’s never existed before.”
&#8220;Now, CAPSTONE will use its own propulsion and the Sun’s gravity to navigate the rest of the way to the Moon, a four-month journey that will have CAPSTONE inserting into its near rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO) around the Moon on Nov. 13,&#8221; NASA <a href="https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/2022/07/04/capstone-leaves-earth-orbit-headed-to-the-moon/#:~:text=CAPSTONE%20communicates%20with%20Earth%20via,the%20Moon%20on%20Nov.%2013.">said</a> in a press release. &#8220;The gravity-driven track will dramatically reduce the amount of fuel the CubeSat needs to get to its target orbit around the Moon.&#8221;
Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to josephcurl@dailywire.com and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.

Solar Eclipse Observed in Asia

NASA Warns China Trying To Take Over Moon

U.S. Space Agency NASA Warns China Is Trying To Take Over Moon

China

Just days after its launch, a satellite roughly the size of a microwave oven has broken away from its orbit around Earth and is now headed directly toward the moon.
But don&#8217;t worry, it&#8217;s all part of the plan. The satellite &#8212; dubbed CAPSTONE (Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment) &#8212; was launched a week ago from New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula by Rocket Lab. The satellite was set to orbit Earth for a while, then break away and use next to no internal energy as it makes it ways to the moon over the next four months.
“It’s probably going to take a while to sink in,&#8221; Rocket Lab founder Peter Beck <a href="https://apnews.com/article/space-launches-exploration-science-technology-peter-beck-d2748e44d427941f1352312ac954dd5d">told</a> The Associated Press. &#8220;It’s been a project that has taken us two, two-and-a-half years and is just incredibly, incredibly difficult to execute. So to see it all come together tonight and see that spacecraft on its way to the moon, it’s just absolutely epic.”
The project cost $33 million, which, in the world of space exploration, is pocket change. “For some tens of millions of dollars, there is now a rocket and a spacecraft that can take you to the moon, to asteroids, to Venus, to Mars,” Beck said. “It’s an insane capability that’s never existed before.”
&#8220;Now, CAPSTONE will use its own propulsion and the Sun’s gravity to navigate the rest of the way to the Moon, a four-month journey that will have CAPSTONE inserting into its near rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO) around the Moon on Nov. 13,&#8221; NASA <a href="https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/2022/07/04/capstone-leaves-earth-orbit-headed-to-the-moon/#:~:text=CAPSTONE%20communicates%20with%20Earth%20via,the%20Moon%20on%20Nov.%2013.">said</a> in a press release. &#8220;The gravity-driven track will dramatically reduce the amount of fuel the CubeSat needs to get to its target orbit around the Moon.&#8221;
The satellite is set to orbit the moon and send back data once it arrives there. The small effort is part of a bigger project as NASA &#8220;plans to put a space station called Gateway into the orbital path, from which astronauts can descend to the moon’s surface as part of its Artemis program,&#8221; the AP reported.
&#8220;The Electron rocket that launched June 28 from New Zealand was carrying a second spacecraft called Photon, which separated after nine minutes. The satellite was carried for six days in Photon, with the spacecraft’s engines firing periodically to raise its orbit farther and farther from Earth,&#8221; the wire service reported.
The experimental craft is part of move to create spacecraft that use little fuel. “There’s a number of really cool missions that we can actually do with it,” Beck said.
Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to josephcurl@dailywire.com and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.

Blood moon on night sky

NASA Satellite Off To The Moon After Breaking Free From Earth’s Orbit

NASA Satellite Off To The Moon After Breaking Free From Earth's Orbit

A new <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nasa">NASA</a> experiment suggests the search for life on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mars">Mars</a> may require digging deeper following the discovery that cosmic rays likely quickly destroy amino acids that would be found on the red planet&#8217;s surface.
The discovery of amino acids on Mars would be a significant step in the search for Martian life, as they are a key component to building proteins in terrestrial life.
“Our results suggest that amino acids are destroyed by cosmic rays in the Martian surface rocks and regolith at much faster rates than previously thought,” <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2022/dig-deep-for-evidence-of-martian-life" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Alexander Pavlov of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
“Current Mars rover missions drill down to about two inches (around five centimeters). At those depths, it would take only 20 million years to destroy amino acids completely. The addition of perchlorates and water increases the rate of amino acid destruction even further,&#8221; he added.
The research also demonstrated that current drilling by rovers on Mars would be unlikely to discover any signs of ancient life at their current depths.
“Missions with shallow drill sampling have to seek recently exposed outcrops – e.g., recent microcraters with ages less than 10 million years or the material ejected from such craters,” Pavlov observed.
Unlike on Earth, where the thick atmosphere and magnetic field shield against most cosmic rays, Mars has no such current protections (though some have suggested it did in the past). The growing evidence of water on Mars, however, has also led to new efforts to discover other evidence from amino acids in the planet&#8217;s rocks.
In the NASA experiment, the research team created test tubes sealed in conditions seeking to mirror those of the surface of Mars. The samples were also blasted with gamma radiation to simulate conditions on the red planet.
“Our work is the first comprehensive study where the destruction (radiolysis) of a broad range of amino acids was studied under a variety of Mars-relevant factors (temperature, water content, perchlorate abundance) and the rates of radiolysis were compared,” said Pavlov. “It turns out that the addition of silicates and particularly silicates with perchlorates greatly increases the destruction rates of amino acids.”
Amino acids have not yet been discovered on Mars. Researchers remain hopeful, however, as such materials have been found in some meteorites, including at least one from Mars.
In 2009, researchers at NASA&#8217;s Goddard Space Flight Center <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/topics/solarsystem/features/left_hand_aminoacids.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> &#8220;the discovery of an excess of the left-handed form of the amino acid isovaline in samples of meteorites that came from carbon-rich asteroids.&#8221; The finding has led to some speculation that life even began in space.
The discovery did show that meteoroids carry similar amino acids to those found on Earth. The researchers also noted that organic matter has been observed on Mars by both the Curiosity and Perseverance rovers, but the signs could have also been created by non-biological forces.

Curiosity

NASA Study Claims Research May Need To ‘Dig Deep’ To Find Evidence Of Life On Mars

Extraterrestrial Life

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nasa">NASA&#8217;s</a> latest launch is designed as preparation for once again sending astronauts to the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/moon">Moon</a> in the years ahead.
The Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE) CubeSat satellite took off from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-zealand">New Zealand</a> on Tuesday. Though only the size of a microwave oven, the experiment is set to orbit the Moon and send vital information back to Earth.
“CAPSTONE is a pathfinder in many ways, and it will demonstrate several technology capabilities during its mission timeframe while navigating a never-before-flown orbit around the Moon,” <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/capstone-launches-to-test-new-orbit-for-nasa-s-artemis-moon-missions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Elwood Agasid, project manager for CAPSTONE at NASA&#8217;s Ames Research Center in California&#8217;s Silicon Valley. “CAPSTONE is laying a foundation for Artemis, Gateway, and commercial support for future lunar operations.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Rocket Lab and NASA have launched the Capstone spacecraft to the Moon! 🌑
The spacecraft is intended to to test a new orbit for NASA’s Artemis missions. <a href="https://t.co/VkHvR8gVQw">pic.twitter.com/VkHvR8gVQw</a>
&mdash; Everything Space (@totalspace360) <a href="https://twitter.com/totalspace360/status/1541813106912944128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Bradley Cheetham, principal investigator for CAPSTONE and chief executive officer of Advanced Space, celebrated the successful launch in NASA&#8217;s statement. The company owns and operates CAPSTONE on behalf of NASA.
&#8220;Delivering the spacecraft for launch was an accomplishment for the entire mission team, including NASA and our industry partners. Our team is now preparing for separation and initial acquisition for the spacecraft in six days,&#8221; Cheetham said.
“We have already learned a tremendous amount getting to this point, and we are passionate about the importance of returning humans to the Moon, this time to stay!&#8221; he added.
The CubeSat&#8217;s orbit will be elongated at a precise balance point in the gravities of the Earth and the Moon, requiring minimal energy to run.
&#8220;CAPSTONE’s orbit also establishes a location that is an ideal staging area for missions to the Moon and beyond,&#8221; according to NASA&#8217;s <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/small_spacecraft/capstone" target="_blank" rel="noopener">description</a> of the satellite.
&#8220;The orbit will bring CAPSTONE within 1,000 miles of one lunar pole on its near pass and 43,500 miles from the other pole at its peak every seven days, requiring less propulsion capability for spacecraft flying to and from the Moon’s surface,&#8221; compared to other circular orbits.
The CAPSTONE satellite is only one aspect of the exciting plans in development. A space station called <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/gateway" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gateway</a> is hoping to orbit the Moon for 15 years. The Gateway anticipates orbiting the Moon to offer essential support for a long-term human return to the lunar surface and to serve as a staging location for future space exploration.
The goal of sending humans back to the surface of the Moon has been a long-term research project by NASA. The last American astronaut to walk the lunar surface was Gener Cernan, known as the &#8220;last man on the Moon&#8221; for his 1972 Apollo 17 landing.
<a href="https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/890/who-has-walked-on-the-moon/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to</a> NASA Science, 24 American astronauts “made the trip from the Earth to the Moon” between 1968 and 1971. Of those, 10 remain alive today.
In 2021, NASA announced a partnership with Elon Musk&#8217;s SpaceX as part of its Artemis program to once again send astronauts to the Moon. The project&#8217;s <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/as-artemis-moves-forward-nasa-picks-spacex-to-land-next-americans-on-moon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">goals</a> also include landing the first woman on the Moon and the first person of color.

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