Orion spacecraft’s toilet (Courtesy: X) The crew of Nasa’s historic Artemis II mission, with support from mission control, successfully restored the Orion spacecraft’s toilet system after it experienced a recurring issue following Wednesday’s launch (US local time) from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.“Ahead of the apogee raise burn on April 1, the Artemis II…
Nasa on Wednesday (local time) confirmed that the Orion spacecraft had successfully separated from the rocket’s upper stage as part of the Artemis II mission. The agency said that proximity operations tests were now underway.Sharing the video of the separation online, Nasa said astronauts aboard Orion were manually piloting the spacecraft in a way similar…
More than half a century after Apollo 11 put humans on the lunar surface, NASA has taken a major step toward returning. On April 1, 2026 (April 2 IST), the Artemis II successfully launched from Kennedy Space Center, sending four astronauts on a 10-day journey toward and around the Moon. It is the first time…
In a landmark study in PLOS ONE, women were found to have as many as 50 per cent more olfactory bulbs, i.e., neurons capable of detecting smells, in their brains than do men. This increased biological hardware enables women to have a significantly higher level of sensitivity to complex environmental odours, subtle changes in the…
The night before a major event, be it a major event in one’s life or a major event in space, is often a time filled with nervous energy, and astronauts are no exception. As NASA gears up for its historic mission to the Moon, a mission that marks a return to the Moon after over…
While the notion that we might be approaching Earth’s maximum, or its breaking point, has previously been associated with environmentalism, there is now a growing amount of scientific research to support this notion. With our population exceeding eight billion, we are finding it increasingly difficult to deny the pressure we are placing on our environment….
From Chandrayaan 1 (image credit: Isro) to Artemis 2 (Image credit: Nasa) For much of the late 20th century, the Moon was treated as a closed chapter. After Apollo, samples brought back to Earth seemed to settle the argument. The Moon was dry, ancient and geologically inactive. There was no water to sustain life, no…
The ‘Pink Moon’ will occur in the night sky on April 1, 2026 – the culmination of a combination of lunar orbital mechanics and historical cultural significance. While the name indicates a radical colour change, it really reflects the rules of physics between our planet, the moon and the sun, along with plant cycles in…
Penn State researchers are taking the unique resilience of tardigrades or ‘water bears’ as a basis for evaluation into how living organisms will respond and protect Martian resources. These microscopic extremophiles are known for their ability to survive in the vacuum of space; however, this study primarily focuses on their molecular response to Martian-like conditions…
NASA’s upcoming Artemis II mission is the next crewed mission in the agency’s plan to explore the deep reaches of space. The mission is the next step following the uncrewed Artemis I mission. The mission will be crewed and will be sent using the Space Launch System rocket and the Orion spacecraft, launching from the…