ALT Crews are seen preparing to move a key adapter for NASA’s Space Launch System rocket out of Marshall Space Flight Center. The cone-shaped launch vehicle stage adapter connects the rocket’s core stage to the upper stage and helps protect the upper stage’s engine that will help propel the Artemis II mission around the Moon. Credits: Sam Lott/NASA
ALT Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot of the first lunar landing mission, poses for a photograph beside the deployed United States flag during Apollo 11 extravehicular activity (EVA) on the lunar surface. The Lunar Module (LM) is on the left, and the footprints of the astronauts are clearly visible in the soil of the moon. Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, commander, took this picture with a 70mm Hasselblad lunar surface camera. While astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin descended in the LM the "Eagle" to explore the Sea of Tranquility region of the moon, astronaut Michael Collins, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "Columbia" in lunar orbit. (Credit: NASA)
ALT Four astronauts wearing orange spacesuits.
ALT An illustration of a capture from one of the Orion spacecraft's solar arrays. A partial view of the spacecraft can be seen against the dark side of the Moon. Image credit: NASA/Liam Yanulis
ALT The optical navigation camera mounted on the Orion spacecraft captured these views of the Moon’s surface. The gray, cratered surface of the Moon consumes the entire image. The color of the terrain varies from white to dark gray. Image credit: NASA
ALT A camera mounted on one of Orion’s four solar arrays captured this image of the Moon on flight day 17 of the 25.5-day Artemis I mission from a distance of more than 222,000 miles from Earth. The gray Moon can be seen in the distance against the blackness of space. Image credit: NASA
ALT An illustration of the Orion spacecraft orbiting the Moon. In its path, the words "We are going" can be read in English and lots of different languages. Image credit: NASA/Shane Tolentino
ALT Artist concept of the Demonstration for Rocket to Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) spacecraft, utilizing a nuclear thermal rocket engine flying through space. The spacecraft has NASA, DARPA, USSF and American flag stickers on it, and is seen amidst the stars in space with a corner of Earth's horizon visible. Credit: DARPA
ALT The irregular galaxy Arp 263 lurks in the background of this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, but the view is dominated by a stellar photobomber, the bright star BD+17 2217. The interloping foreground star, BD+17 2217, is adorned with two sets of crisscrossing diffraction spikes. The interaction of light with Hubble’s internal structure means that concentrated bright objects, such as stars, are surrounded by four prominent spikes. Since this image of BD+17 2217 was created using two sets of Hubble data, the spikes from both images surround this stellar photobomber. The spikes are at different angles because Hubble was at different orientations when it collected the two datasets. Text credit: European Space Agency (ESA) Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, J. Dalcanton, A. Filippenko
ALT The Artemis II crew in the Orion capsule trainer.
ALT The Artemis II crew with the mission recovery team.
ALT The Artemis II crew with the mission recovery team.
ALT The Artemis II crew with the mission recovery team.
ALT This concept rendering shows the Lunar Surface Habitat on the Moon. The habitat sits atop outreached legs that touch down on the lunar surface. The lower portion of the habitat is a metal (two-chamber) airlock that permits ingress/egress to the habitat for crew and logistics transfer from other surface assets. The primary habitable volume is an inflatable softgoods structure. The habitat is shown next to a pressurized rover that two crew can live in and use to increase their exploration range on the lunar surface.
ALT This concept rendering shows the Mars Transit Habitat as it travels through space with Mars in the background. The habitat appears like a giant cylinder-shaped ballon, showcasing the inflatable habitat concept. Solar arrays are unfolded outward at the metal base of the habitat.
