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Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen described the new space‑thriller Project Hail Mary as “a real treat” after watching it with his family and fellow Artemis II crew members ahead of their upcoming lunar fly‑around.During a live broadcast organized by the Canadian Space Agency, Hansen highlighted how the film exemplifies the synergy between art and science, noting that it “inspires people to imagine the sacrifices required to save humanity.”Co‑star Ryan Gosling, who shares Hansen’s Canadian roots in London, Ontario, sent his best wishes to the four astronauts before the mission’s scheduled launch on Wednesday.Hansen’s participation marks a milestone: he is the first non‑U.S. citizen to travel to the Moon. If the mission proceeds as planned, Artemis II will travel more than 250,000 miles from Earth, surpassing the distance record set by Apollo 13 in 1970.The crew’s ambition echoes past cinematic portrayals of space, recalling the acclaimed 1995 film about Apollo 13, and underscores the growing cultural interplay between Hollywood storytelling and real‑world exploration.

NASA's Artemis II mission has reached a critical phase as the four astronauts on board have successfully fired up their spacecraft's engine to break away from Earth's orbit and embark on a trajectory towards the moon. This historic moment marks the first crewed lunar flyby in over half a century. The Orion capsule's engine blasted off on Thursday, propelling the astronauts on their 10-day mission, which includes looping around the moon. The burn, lasting just under six minutes, provided enough thrust to accelerate a stationary car to highway-driving speed in less than three seconds. The mission control team in Houston confirmed the successful burn, stating, 'Looks like a good burn, we're confirming.' The astronauts, consisting of Americans Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Jeremy Hansen, are now on a 'free return' trajectory, utilizing the moon's gravity to slingshot around it before heading back towards Earth without propulsion. The Artemis II mission is a crucial step towards establishing a permanent human presence on the moon, with the ultimate goal of landing humans on the lunar surface by 2028. This mission also marks a series of historic firsts, including the first person of color, the first woman, and the first non-American on a lunar mission. The spacecraft's crew spent their initial hours in space performing checks and troubleshooting minor issues, including a communications problem and a malfunctioning toilet. They also began their fitness routine on the spacecraft's 'flywheel exercise device' to minimize muscle and bone loss in microgravity. NASA's Artemis program has been portrayed as a competitive effort with China, which aims to land humans on the moon by 2030. The program has faced pressure from various quarters, including former President Trump, who has pushed for an accelerated pace. The mission's commander, Reid Wiseman, described the breathtaking view of Earth from space, saying, 'You can see the entire globe from pole to pole... It was the most spectacular moment and it paused all four of us in our tracks.'

Maggie Aderin-Pocock, a space scientist and CEO of Science Innovation Ltd, says the one item she would take to the lunar surface is a hand‑sewn purple‑cloth alien crafted by her daughter during a GCSE textile project. The tiny creature, made on a loom, embodies her child's love and would serve as a reminder of family ties at the farthest point from Earth. Sheila Hancock, acclaimed actor and writer, would use the trip as a cultural boot‑camp. She plans to study the complete works of Shakespeare, the epic novel War and Peace, and the full symphonies of Mahler as interpreted by Claudio Abbado, hoping the immersion will "strengthen her weakening brain" and deepen her appreciation of human genius. Michael Akadiri, a stand‑up comedian and resident doctor, imagines a lighter itinerary: a stack of old birthday cards to revisit heartfelt messages, an old‑school notepad for real‑time reflections, and a handful of puff‑puff (Nigerian doughnuts) – a cheeky nod to his fitness‑obsessed friends. Michael Rosen, children’s author and broadcaster, would bring three nostalgic comforts: giant yellow Chilean raisins from W Martyn’s shop in Muswell Hill, an oval brown pebble from the alleyway of his teenage flat, and the “furry” blanket his wife gave him during his 2020 COVID‑19 ventilator stay, each item a tactile link to his past. Athena Kugblenu, writer and comedian, opts for practicality and humor. She would pack a pair of Crocs for comfort, the guidebook Contact by Carl Sagan as a potential alien‑communication manual, and a jar of shito sauce – a Ghanaian shrimp‑tomato condiment – to introduce extraterrestrials to Ghanaian flavor before they learn English profanity. Nels Abbey, writer and broadcaster, frames his selection as a morale‑boosting toolkit. He would carry excerpts from Gil Scott‑Heron’s "Whitey on the Moon" and stand‑up routines by Paul Mooney, using their cynical wit to cope with the psychological challenges of space travel. Collectively, the panel’s choices illustrate how personal history, artistic heritage and even culinary curiosity can anchor humanity during the most extraordinary voyages. Their whimsical yet heartfelt lists underscore the idea that, even beyond Earth, we remain tethered to the stories, flavors and objects that define us.

A plush toy designed by eight-year-old Lucas Ye from California has become an unlikely participant in NASA's Artemis II mission, the agency's first crewed lunar mission in over 50 years. The toy, named Rise, serves as a zero-gravity indicator and was included in the mission after Lucas won a global competition.Rise is a smiley-faced plush toy wearing a baseball cap with a star-spangled visor and a crown resembling Earth's surface. Lucas's design was chosen from over 2,600 entrants in a competition presided over by NASA and Freelancer, a crowdsourcing company.The Artemis II mission, which launched on Wednesday, aims to send astronauts farther from Earth than any humans in history. The crew will travel over 250,000 miles into space and back over a period of 10 days. If successful, the mission will pave the way for future lunar exploration, including the 2028 scheduled mission to place humans back on the moon.Rise's journey is not without precedent; similar zero-gravity indicator objects have been part of space missions in the past. Lucas's achievement is a significant milestone for the young space enthusiast, who aspires to work at NASA or become an astrophysicist.The Artemis II mission also marks a historic moment for diversity in space exploration, with a woman, Christina Koch, and a person of color, Victor Glover, flying between Earth's orbit and the moon for the first time.

SpaceX has submitted paperwork for an initial public offering that could debut as early as June or July, targeting a capital raise of $75 billion. If the market pricing aligns with analysts’ forecasts, the launch could lift the company’s valuation to nearly $1.5 trillion, roughly double its worth in December. Such a valuation would place founder Elon Musk on a clear trajectory toward becoming the planet’s first trillionaire, a milestone that would eclipse the $25.6 billion record set by Saudi Aramco’s 2019 IPO. Renaissance Capital’s data analyst Angelo Bochanis told Reuters that, much like Tesla, SpaceX’s market price will hinge on investor confidence in Musk’s long‑term vision. "Investors are clamouring for any exposure to SpaceX," he added. Despite Musk’s controversial public persona and his involvement in multiple high‑profile ventures, industry experts remain bullish. Kat Liu, vice‑president at IPOX, noted that SpaceX is "operationally mature, technologically ahead in several key areas, and profitable," providing a solid foundation for a public listing. The company’s recent merger with Musk’s artificial‑intelligence startup xAI and the continued dominance of its Starlink satellite network—now the world’s largest satellite communications platform—have reinforced investor interest. SpaceX’s ambitious roadmap includes a lunar base and a crewed Mars mission, though timelines remain uncertain. Musk has previously admitted a "50‑50 chance" of delivering an uncrewed Starship to Mars by the end of 2026. Financial data firm Pitchbook estimates the IPO could nearly double the company’s market cap, underscoring the scale of potential investor demand. If realized, the offering would not only reshape the space‑tech sector but also set a new benchmark for public market fundraising.

NASA's Artemis II space mission has successfully launched from Florida, embarking on a historic journey around the moon with four astronauts on board. This mission marks a significant milestone in the United States space agency's plan to return humans to the moon and eventually send astronauts to Mars.The 32-storey rocket rose from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, where tens of thousands gathered to witness the liftoff. The Artemis II crew, consisting of NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, are set for a nearly 10-day journey around the moon and back.“On this historic mission, you take with you the heart of this Artemis team, the daring spirit of the American people and our partners across the globe, and the hopes and dreams of a new generation,” said Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, the launch director. “Good luck, Godspeed Artemis II. Let’s go.”During the mission, the astronauts will spend the first one to two days in high Earth orbit carrying out extensive systems checks. They will then perform a critical engine burn known as translunar injection, which will send the spacecraft out of Earth's orbit and onto a trajectory towards the moon.The journey will take several days, during which the crew will continue monitoring spacecraft systems as they travel farther from Earth. Orion will then fly behind the moon on a free-return trajectory, a path that naturally swings the spacecraft back towards Earth using the gravity of both the moon and Earth, with minimal fuel required.After the lunar flyby, the crew will spend several days traveling back to Earth while carrying out additional deep-space tests on power systems, thermal controls, and crew operations. As Orion approaches Earth, the capsule will re-enter the atmosphere at speeds of about 40,233km per hour (25,000 miles per hour), before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean, where recovery teams will retrieve the crew.

NASA's Artemis II mission has successfully launched, marking a significant milestone in space exploration. The mission, which launched on Wednesday, is the first crewed mission to the moon's vicinity since the Apollo program ended in 1972.The 322-foot Space Launch System (SLS) rocket lifted off at 6:35pm ET (22:35 GMT) from Cape Canaveral, Florida, sending the Orion crew capsule on a 10-day journey around the moon and back to Earth.The crew, consisting of NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, will follow a 'free-return' trajectory that swings around the moon to prove the spacecraft can sustain a crew on future missions.The mission plan includes high Earth orbit checks, a translunar injection to propel the spacecraft towards the moon, and a lunar flyby on April 6. The spacecraft will reach its closest approach to the moon, approximately 4,000-6,000 miles (6,450-9,650km) above the lunar surface.After the flyby, the crew will conduct deep-space science and medical monitoring before re-entering Earth's atmosphere and splashing down in the Pacific Ocean on April 10.NASA's next mission, Artemis III, is currently planned for 2027 and will involve the Orion spacecraft docking with a lunar lander in Earth orbit.

A blinking fault light on NASA’s Orion spacecraft signalled a malfunction in the Universal Waste Management System (UWMS) just as the historic Artemis II crew began their 10‑day lunar‑orbit mission. Mission control reported the issue was resolved within minutes, stating: “Happy to report that toilet is go for use. We do recommend letting the system get to operating speed before donating fluid, and then letting it run a little bit after donation.”The $30 million (≈£22.6 million) UWMS, years in development, is hailed as a breakthrough in deep‑space sanitation, dramatically improving on the primitive setups used during Apollo. Back then, astronauts used a condom‑like urine collector and a bagged solid‑waste system that was prone to leaks and even produced “a turd floating through the air,” according to mission transcripts.Orion now features a private toilet cubicle – the first of its kind on a space shuttle – accessed through a floor hatch beside the main entry hatch. Handrails and foot tethers keep the crew anchored while inside.“We’re pretty fortunate as a crew to get a toilet with a door on this tiny spacecraft,” noted Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency in a pre‑launch video. “The one place during the mission where we can go and actually feel like we’re alone for a moment.”The system uses a funnel attached to a hose for urine and a small seat for solid waste. Because everything floats, faeces are suctioned into a sealed bag at the bowl’s base and then compressed into a canister. The suction is loud enough that the cubicle is insulated and crew members must wear ear protection while using it.On longer stays, such as ISS missions, astronauts now recycle almost all liquid waste, turning urine and sweat into drinkable water. For the short Artemis II flight, urine will be vented daily and solid waste stored for disposal after return to Earth.Beyond comfort, the upgraded toilet is a mission‑critical component for NASA’s goal of a permanent lunar presence. Sustainable waste handling prevents health risks and avoids contaminating the pristine space environment with Earth microbes. As historian David Munns explained, “Actually thinking about not only toilets but the entire life‑support systems is one of the foundations of long‑term living in space.”

NASA's Artemis II mission is on track to make history as four astronauts prepare to leave Earth's orbit and embark on a journey towards the moon. This 10-day voyage marks a significant milestone in the US space agency's ambitious plan to land humans back on the lunar surface this decade and establish a permanent presence there.The crew, consisting of three Americans and one Canadian, launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday. After a series of tests and preparations, they are set to perform a translunar injection burn, a six-minute engine firing that will send the Orion spacecraft on its path to the moon.During their journey, the astronauts will loop around the back of the moon, becoming the four people to travel the farthest from Earth in history. They will then use the moon's gravity to launch back home. This mission is expected to break the record for distance traveled away from Earth, currently held by the Apollo 13 crew, who reached 248,655 miles (400,171km) in 1970.The Artemis II mission is a crucial test of NASA's capabilities, with future missions aiming to land astronauts on the moon's south pole as early as 2028. The US is in a new space race with China, which plans to send a crewed mission to the same lunar region as early as 2030. NASA's long-term goal is to build a lunar base that can house a permanent human presence, bringing humanity closer to living on the moon and Mars.