NASA’s Apollo 13 mission, famous for its near-disaster in 1970, is back in the news as NASA gears up for Artemis moon missions.
On April 6, 2026, NASA's Artemis II mission flew four astronauts—three Americans and one Canadian—around the Moon, reaching within 4,067 miles of its surface. The crew captured high-resolution images, including Earthrise and a total solar eclipse, transmitted back to Earth via an optical link. The mission tests Orion spacecraft systems ahead of planned lunar landings and aims to establish a sustainable Moon presence.
NASA's Artemis II crewed mission has launched from Florida, marking the first crewed lunar flyby since 1972. The four astronauts will travel over 400,000 km, setting distance records and testing systems for future Moon and Mars missions. The mission aims to pave the way for a lunar landing in 2028.
The Artemis II crew has returned to Earth after a record-breaking lunar flyby, and NASA is pivoting to surface-based lunar exploration. Axiom Space and Northrop Grumman acknowledge corrosion issues in habitat modules, while agencies push toward a 2028 lunar landing and a 2030 Moon base timeline, despite ongoing technical hurdles.