Four astronauts from NASA's Artemis II mission have safely returned to Earth after completing a historic flyby of the moon, marking the first human journey to the moon in over 50 years.
The mission ferries four astronauts -- NASA's Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch and Victor Glover and Canada's Jeremy Hansen -- onboard the Orion spacecraft for a 10 day lunar flyby. Unlike the Apollo missions that aimed for landing, Artemis II is focused on testing. The crew will evaluate critical systems such as life support, navigation, and communication in deep space -- essential steps before humans can return to the lunar surface.
NASA has announced three missions to the moon as part of efforts to establish a permanent base on the earth's natural satellite. The USD 20 billion plan includes lunar rovers and drones for experiments to help master skills to live and operate in the dangerous environment.
Half a century after America's National Aeronautics and Space Administration stopped sending rockets to the moon, NASA's unmanned Artemis I mission lifted off from launch complex 39-B at Cape Canaveral, Florida, November 16, 2022.
The race to the uncharted south pole of the Moon is quickening with India's Chandrayaan-3 and Russia's Luna-25 gearing up for lunar landings next week, each mission holding significant implications beyond the thrilling competition in the skies.
From The New York Times to BBC and The Guardian to The Washington Post, the historic event in India's space programme on Wednesday made headlines across the globe.
