
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
The four astronaut's of NASA's Artemis 2 mission arrived in style ahead of their historic moon mission.
What is it?
NASA astronauts Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Reid Wiseman, and the Canadian Space Agency's Jeremy Hansen landed their T-38 jets at the Launch and Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida on Friday (March 27).
The crew of four landed at KSC shortly before unveiling their zero gravity indicator, "Rise." Zero gravity indicators are small stuffed items that accompany crews into space to serve as a visual signal that they've left Earth's gravity as they begin to float around their spacecraft.
Rise consists of a smiling moon, wearing a cap decorated to resemble Earth, featuring a brim covered in stars.
Rise was designed by second-grader Lucas Ye of Mountain View, California, and was inspired by the iconic Earthrise moment from the Apollo 8 mission, according to a statement from NASA. The agency opened a call for submissions for the Artemis 2 mission's zero-g indicator last year and received over 2,600 submissions from over 50 countries.
Why is it amazing?
Artemis 2 will be the first crewed mission to lunar space in over 50 years, since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. The flight will test the Orion spacecraft and see the crew carry out experiments that will help NASA prepare for further Artemis program missions.
The overall goal of the Artemis program is to establish a sustained human presence on the lunar surface, including building permanent moon bases.
NASA is currently 'go' to launch Artemis 2 as early as Wednesday, April 1, at 6:24 p.m. EDT (2224 GMT).
Follow along with the latest updates on our Artemis 2 mission live blog.
LATEST POSTS
- 1
Paraplegic engineer becomes the first wheelchair user to blast into space - 2
SF Chinatown's historic Empress of China building being revived into cultural campus - 3
NASA funds new tech for upcoming 'Super Hubble' to search for alien life: 'We intend to move with urgency' - 4
Mexico says a third of 130,000 missing people might be alive, fueling criticisms by families - 5
New hybrid mpox strain discovered in UK after US reports local spread
Discovering a sense of harmony: Individual Accounts of Reflection and Care
Which Film Has the Incomparable Melodic Score?
Indian rocket launches record-breaking BlueBird 6 smartphone satellite to orbit (video)
The most effective method to Shake Hands During a Pandemic: Wellbeing Tips and Behavior
Vote in favor of your #1 Kind of Cap
Old food pyramid vs. RFK Jr.'s new food pyramid. See what's different.
New movies to watch this weekend: See 'We Bury the Dead' in theaters, rent 'Wicked: For Good,' stream 'The Unbreakable Boy' on Starz
Benedict Cumberbatch takes on something even Sherlock can’t solve: male grief
Jamaica reports deadly leptospirosis outbreak after Hurricane Melissa













