NASA’s Artemis 2 mission has departed Earth, as humans return to cis-lunar space after more than 50 years.

It started with an Instagram message, and ended on the silver screen.

Venus and Jupiter dominate April's evening sky, while Mercury, Mars and Saturn linger in the dawn — here's how and when to spot them all.

The universe is home to an astonishing variety of galaxies, from small dwarf galaxies to colossal spirals. Among the known galaxies, Alcyoneus currently holds the distinction of being the largest known galaxy by physical size.

Here's what's on the experiment roster for the Artemis 2 moon mission.

Here's where you need to be to see the Artemis 2 moon rocket launch with your own eyes.

A Virtual Telescope Project livestream aims to track NASA's Artemis 2 Orion spacecraft — here's how to watch it as it travels through space.

The "Pink Moon" will rise on the same day Artemis 2 is due to launch a crew of 4 to lunar space.

SpaceX Starlink spacecraft was seen prior to breaking up in orbit by a satellite.

"A better understanding of Saturn’s environment is especially urgent now as plans for our return to Saturn and its moon Enceladus start to be developed."

NASA plans to make history today (April 1) with the launch of Artemis 2, the first crewed moon mission since Apollo 17 in 1972.

Christine Klein took up duty as acting Director of Controlling, Finance and Operational Procurement (D/CFO) at the European Space Agency on 1 April 2026. She will lead the newly established directorate during its consolidation.

Géraldine Naja took up duty as Director of Space Transportation (D/STS) at the European Space Agency on 1 April 2026. She will continue to serve as head of her former directorate, now called the Commercialisation and Industry Partnership directorate (D/CIP), as acting director.

NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft stand at Launch Complex 39B on Tuesday, March 31, ahead of the planned launch of Artemis 2. Image: Michael Cain/Spaceflight Now

For the first time in more than 53 years, NASA is preparing to send humans beyond low Earth orbit. As soon as Wednesday evening, four astronauts will embark on an a more than nine-day mission with the goal of flying around the Moon and back.

Introduction to Planetary Orbits

The paths that planets take as they revolve around the Sun are known as orbits. In our solar system, all eight planets—Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune—follow distinct, elliptical (oval-shaped) paths around the Sun. This motion is governed primarily by the law of universal gravitation, as famously described by Sir Isaac Newton, and the geometrical laws of planetary motion formulated by Johannes Kepler.

NASA's XRISM X-ray spacecraft has clocked 2 million mph winds ripping out of a distant galaxy bursting with star formation.