NASA moon mission

[Rye Miles #13621]

Going to the moon, well around it anyway!

 

https://www.npr.org/2026/04/01/nx-s1-5768254/nasa-astronauts-about-to-launch-moon-artemis-ii

[Cypress Sun]

I was hoping to be able to watch it from my house but it looks like cloud cover is going to prevent that. When there is no cloud cover, you can see the launches clearly and vividly from the Tampa Bay area which is across the state from the Cape. As a kid, I watched some of the Apollo launches and as an adult, many of the shuttle launches including the doomed Challenger launch.

Oh well, I'll watch it on tv.

[Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life]

Been there, done that........but a long time ago!

[irish ike, SASS #43615]

"sending humans the farthest they've ever been from our home planet" Huh? The other Moon missions were closer?

[Rye Miles #13621]

2 hours ago, Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life said:

Been there, done that........but a long time ago!

This is the longest trip ever, they’re going around the moon and back.

1 minute ago, irish ike, SASS #43615 said:

"sending humans the farthest they've ever been from our home planet" Huh? The other Moon missions were closer?

 

1 minute ago, irish ike, SASS #43615 said:

"sending humans the farthest they've ever been from our home planet" Huh? The other Moon missions were closer?

They’re going around the moon, longest trip ever. Maybe read the article ?

[Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life]

They are doing the same thing that Apollo 8 did. What makes it a farther distance is they are going a little farther from the moon before they turn around to come back to earth. Big deal!

 

I'm kinda blase' about this moon trip. Fresh out of college I worked on the Apollo and Saturn programs. I also worked on the Space Shuttle. To me it's like reinventing the wheel. 

Edited April 1 by Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life

[Rye Miles #13621]

33 minutes ago, Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life said:

They are doing the same thing that Apollo 8 did. What makes it a farther distance is they are going a little farther from the moon before they turn around to come back to earth. Big deal!

Correct, so it’s the furthest manned trip ever. That’s what I said!

[Pat Riot]

Yeah, they’re going to rendezvous with the beings from Betelgeuse and exchange elements for testing to see if further trade opportunities are worthwhile. 
At least that was what was conveyed to me via a telepathic dream-link last night. 

[Stump Water]

Not sure why we need a permanent presence/base on the moon.

[DeaconKC]

4 minutes ago, Stump Water said:

Not sure why we need a permanent presence/base on the moon.

It would be longer lasting than space stations with greater durability and not so much stress on the human body. The Moon does have some gravity, as the space stations do not, so astronauts on long term assignment won't have such a hard time re-adjusting on their return to Earth.

[Stump Water]

https://babylonbee.com/news/nasa-plays-incredible-april-fools-joke-of-once-again-pretending-to-go-to-the-moon

[Cypress Sun]

1 hour ago, Pat Riot said:

Yeah, they’re going to rendezvous with the beings from Betelgeuse and exchange elements for testing to see if further trade opportunities are worthwhile. 
At least that was what was conveyed to me via a telepathic dream-link last night. 

 

That's why they're going on the 'dark side' of the moon for a while.

[Buckshot Bear]

Why aren't they going to land?

[DeaconKC]

Making sure a bunch of new technology works. 

[Cypress Sun]

9 minutes ago, Buckshot Bear said:

Why aren't they going to land?

 

Probably because that's one of the hard parts. My understanding is that they are doing this to see if it launches, goes to the moon and returns intact with all four astronauts alive.

[Rye Miles #13621]

Launch successful! How cool! 🇺🇸
 

 10 day mission! 

[Cowtown Scout, SASS #53540 L]

Watched the lift off and still watching it.

[Yul Lose]

3 hours ago, Stump Water said:

https://babylonbee.com/news/nasa-plays-incredible-april-fools-joke-of-once-again-pretending-to-go-to-the-moon

My step dad was very vocal about the first moon landing being staged and went to his grave with that belief. Pretty sure there are some out there that believe  the same way about this trip to the moon.

Edited April 1 by Yul Lose

[Rye Miles #13621]

6 minutes ago, Cowtown Scout, SASS #53540 L said:

Watched the lift off and still watching it.

Me too! 

[Cypress Sun]

1 minute ago, Rye Miles #13621 said:

Me too! 

 

Same here but not much to see at this point.

[Buckshot Bear]

There must be a heck of a lot of fuel on board to flame for that long!

[John Kloehr]

The true feed without the two valley girls adding color:

 

 

[irish ike, SASS #43615]

6 hours ago, Rye Miles #13621 said:

They’re going around the moon, longest trip ever. Maybe read the article ?

I read the article. My point is were the Apollo missions lucky in that the moon was closer?

[Rye Miles #13621]

21 minutes ago, irish ike, SASS #43615 said:

I read the article. My point is were the Apollo missions lucky in that the moon was closer?

I don’t know but Artemis will travel farther period. 
 

Artemis II is going a very long way—much farther than just the Moon’s distance because it loops around and comes back.

 

Here’s the simple breakdown:

 

 

🚀 Maximum distance from Earth

 

 

• The spacecraft will travel about 250,000+ miles (≈400,000 km) away from Earth at its farthest point.
• That’s slightly farther than the Moon’s average distance, meaning it will set a new record for how far humans have traveled from Earth.

 

Edited April 1 by Rye Miles #13621

[Rye Miles #13621]

Artemis II flight path 

[Eyesa Horg]

2 hours ago, Buckshot Bear said:

Why aren't they going to land?

Forgot the keys to the dune buggy they left there 50 years ago!

[Cypress Sun]

40 minutes ago, irish ike, SASS #43615 said:

I read the article. My point is were the Apollo missions lucky in that the moon was closer?

 

Naw...just that back in those days the trip was uphill, both ways and the space suits were uncomfortable.

[irish ike, SASS #43615]

longest vs. further?

Edited April 3 by irish ike, SASS #43615

[J-BAR #18287]

Bless them and keep them safe.  The astronauts are the age of my children.  I am not courageous enough to do what they are doing.  Looking forward to hoisting a glass in their direction when they complete their mission.  
 

Godspeed.

[Trailrider #896]

Why do we need a base on the Moon? For the same reason that we needed to expand the United States from the Original 13 States!  To expand our horizons. Initially, it will be government funded and conducted. But, if new materials and new science is developed by private developers, it will pay off. 

Humanity needs new horizons or we will do what is happening right now...turn inward on ourselves, whether between countries, or just person=to=person. A new frontier can be inspirational. No, we can't export our major populations to the stars. But the existence of a frontier helps. Everyone doesn't have to go there. 

 

We need to go to the Moon to see what will be necessary to safely go to Mars and beyond. For example, it is a known fact that weightlessness has a bad effect on the human body after six months. Until propulsion systems better than chemical ones can be developed, a trip to Mars and beyond will require rotating the ship to create artificial gravity (which may have its own problems). The Moon has 1/6g. If that is sufficient to prevent problems longterm, then Mars; 3/8g will not be a problem. 

 

Artemis II is a major step in establishing a Lunar base. The next step, Artemis III will, when the landing craft are developed, whether by Blue Origin or SpaceX or both, develop the methods of rendezvous and docking that will be necessary to land and take off from the Lunar surface.  There may be other approaches than Artemis. We will just have to wait and see. And, NO, we aren't bundling thousands of dollars and sending the cash into space. It goes to pay scientists, engineers, technicians, and a whole bunch of people in the economy!

 

Just wish I was sixty years younger!

 

Godspeed, Integrity and her crew! 

 

[Pat Riot]

7 hours ago, Trailrider #896 said:

Just wish I was sixty years younger!

I agree. For me it would be 45-50 years, but what an adventure. I would go Air Force ROTC in school and join the Space Force. 

[Sixgun Seamus]

On 4/1/2026 at 4:09 PM, Cypress Sun said:

 

That's why they're going on the 'dark side' of the moon for a while.

Dark Side of the Moon....umm....Pink Floyd anyone?

 

 

[Cypress Sun]

51 minutes ago, Sixgun Seamus said:

Dark Side of the Moon....umm....Pink Floyd anyone?

 

 

 

It's about Time that someone referenced Pink Floyd!

[Stump Water]

I did note that three of the crew have been out of this world before.  Wise move to pick crew with some chops for this little jaunt.

[Trailrider #896]

There is no "darkside" of the Moon. The Moon presents approximately the same face to Earth because the Moon is tidally locked, which means it rotates at about the same rate as it circles the Earth.. Therefore, the back side of the Moon, which we can't see from Earth is illuminated by the sun as the Moon revolves around the Earth. But, when the Moon is full to us, the back side will be dark.