ESA in the news as Europe boosts space funding and Ariane 6 marks a milestone. 23-member bloc, HQ Paris, ~3k staff since 2025.
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.
The NOIRLab has released a detailed image of the sombrero galaxy, revealing its extensive stellar halo and star streams from past collisions. Meanwhile, astronomers have observed interstellar comet C/2025 R3 Pan-STARRS, which is passing through the solar system for the first time in 170,000 years, and the upcoming Lyrid meteor shower is expected to peak tonight, offering spectacular skywatching opportunities.
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.