Moon

Astrobotic, Intuitive Machines, Firefly Aerospace, and Blue Origin are each preparing lunar lander missions for 2026 under NASA's CLPS program, marking an unprecedented year for commercial deep-space exploration.

The SLS rocket lifted off from Kennedy Space Center at 6:24 p.m. EDT on April 1, carrying a crew of four on a 10-day lunar flyby mission.

Four astronauts reached Florida on March 27 ahead of an April 1 launch that will send humans beyond Earth orbit for the first time since Apollo 17.

Artemis III becomes an orbital test flight in 2027 as NASA restructures its lunar program to reduce risk and increase launch cadence.

A liquid hydrogen leak halted the Artemis II wet dress rehearsal, pushing the first crewed Moon flight since 1972 to no earlier than March 6.