SLS leaps off LC-39B carrying the Artemis II Mission // Photo: Ryan Bale On April 1, 2026, NASA’s Space Launch System roared to life at Kennedy Space Center, sending four astronauts beyond low-Earth orbit for the first time in more than half a century. Liftoff occurred at 6:35p.m. EDT from Launch Complex 39B, marking a defining moment in the Artemis program and a return to human exploration of the Moon. Crew Walkout: A Historic Departure Hours before launch, the Artemis II cr

SLS staged at Historic LC-39B for Artemis II // Photo: Ryan Bale The First Human Mission Beyond Earth Orbit in Over 50 Years With launch now just days away, NASA is preparing to send astronauts beyond low Earth orbit for the first time since the Apollo 17 mission in December 1972. The mission, known as Artemis II, is the second flight in NASA’s Artemis program and the first to carry a crew. It represents the next step in rebuilding the capability to send humans to the Moon, t

A Defining Moment for America’s Space Program On March 24, 2026, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman delivered a major update outlining the agency’s direction for human spaceflight. The event, titled “Ignition,” laid out a faster, more execution-focused strategy for returning to the Moon and advancing toward Mars. The Artemis program remains the foundation of NASA’s plans, but the structure around it is changing. The emphasis is shifting toward sustained operations, higher miss

Falcon 9 booster 1080 returns to Port Canaveral //Photo: Ryan Bale When a Falcon 9 lifts off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station or Kennedy Space Center, the mission does not end once the payload reaches orbit. For SpaceX, the recovery of the first stage booster is an integral part of the launch architecture. The Falcon 9 system was designed from the beginning to support rapid reuse. Recovering and refurbishing the booster dramatically lowers launch costs while enabling h