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A Volcanic Medley Near Mammoth Lakes 

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A Volcanic Medley Near Mammoth Lakes 

 
A string of small, partially snow-covered volcanic craters runs north-south between Mono Lake and Mammoth Mountain. Snowy mountains fill the left side of the image.
Overlapping volcanic complexes shape the eastern Sierra Nevada in this image acquired on March 29, 2026, by the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 9.
NASA Earth Observatory/Lauren Dauphin

Take a tour through volcanic history on the edge of the Sierra Nevada near Mammoth Lakes, California. Between the tall granite peaks to the west and the Basin and Range province to the east, overlapping volcanic complexes imprint the landscape with a collection of craters, cones, and calderas. The area, still restless today, draws interest from geologists studying Earth’s processes and from planetary scientists exploring its commonalities with volcanic terrain elsewhere in our solar system.

A string of volcanic features between Mono Lake and Mammoth Mountain is visible along the left side of this Landsat image. Known as the Mono-Inyo Craters, this chain of about three dozen lava domes, lava flows, and tephra rings formed within the past 10,000 years. Explosive eruptions in the area date back even further, but evidence of those older events is no longer apparent at the surface.

Among the most recent activity in this chain, explosive eruptions formed Panum Crater near Mono Lake about 700 years ago. A strombolian eruption deposited a ring of pumice, ash, obsidian fragments, and other material around the vent. After that, a lava dome made of pumice and obsidian built up in the center, creating the concentric-circle pattern visible today.

The Mono Craters, raised features ranging from small and round to larger and amorphous, form a gently arcing line stretching from north to south.
The Mono Craters arc across this image acquired on March 29, 2026, by the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 9.
NASA Earth Observatory/Lauren Dauphin

South of the Mono-Inyo Craters, Mammoth Mountain is perhaps best known for its ample skiable terrain, but it has a volcanic side, as well. The mountain is made up of at least 25 overlapping lava domes. Its last magmatic eruptions took place about 57,000 years ago, but steam-driven phreatic eruptions and other unrest have occurred much more recently.

Scientists believe a magma intrusion beneath the mountain in 1989 set off a spate of seismicity and volcanic gas emissions. Venting of carbon dioxide gas has killed trees in the area, and the U.S. Geological Survey continues to monitor the mountain’s CO2 emissions. Researchers have previously worked with NASA airborne remote sensing technology to measure ecosystem responses to elevated volcanic CO2 around Mammoth Mountain. More recent projects have expanded these efforts to other volcanoes and incorporated satellite imagery to detect signs of gas emissions. These methods partly rely on changes observed in vegetation and could aid in earlier warnings of volcanic hazards.

The most dramatic volcanism in the region, however, is far older. A massive eruption 760,000 years ago formed the Long Valley Caldera. This oval-shaped area, measuring 10 by 20 miles (16 by 32 kilometers), is bounded by snowy ridges, with Mammoth Mountain just off its southwest rim. Crowley Lake, a reservoir on the Owens River, drains the area to the southeast.

The caldera was formed during a six-day-long eruption, during which 150 cubic miles (625 cubic kilometers) of material were ejected. (That’s about 20 times the amount that was spewed in the 1912 eruption of Novarupta, the largest on Earth in the 20th century.) As a result, the surface over the magma storage area subsided thousands of feet to create a vast depression. Scientists with NASA’s Goddard Instrument Field Team conducted research in the area in 2023 to better understand how similar massive eruptions on Mars and other planets and moons in our solar system may have altered their environments.

NASA Earth Observatory images by Lauren Dauphin, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Lindsey Doermann.

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A string of small, partially snow-covered volcanic craters runs north-south between Mono Lake and Mammoth Mountain. Snowy mountains fill the left side of the image.

March 29, 2026

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Station Crew Talks to Artemis II Crew Amid Busy Research Schedule

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Station Crew Talks to Artemis II Crew Amid Busy Research Schedule

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The New Moon is pictured seemingly beneath Earth’s atmosphere during an orbital sunset in this photograph from the International Space Station taken on May 27, 2025.
NASA

Four Expedition 74 astronauts had a ship-to-ship call with the four Artemis II astronauts on Tuesday after they flew around the Moon in a historic first for NASA and its international partners. The International Space Station residents also continued their ongoing biomedical research, trained to capture a U.S. cargo craft, and installed a small experimental robotic arm.

The station crewmates called to the Artemis II crew, NASA Commander Reid Wiseman, NASA Pilot Victor Glover, and  Mission Specialists Christina Koch of NASA and Jeremy Hansen of CSA (Canadian Space Agency), who are returning to Earth aboard the spacecraft Integrity for a short conversation. The station crew expressed their curiosity about the difference between the two spacecraft, while the Artemis II crewmates shared their experience seeing the Moon up close. Koch, who performed a pair of station spacewalks with Meir in January of 2020, remarked, “Every single thing that we learned on ISS is up here.”

Meanwhile, scientific operations remained the focus aboard the space station as the orbital lab residents studied how to keep astronauts healthy on long-term space missions. NASA astronauts Chris Williams, Jack Hathaway, and Jessica Meir, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot, and cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev joined each other on Tuesday for a series of vein scans using the Ultrasound 3 biomedical device as doctors on the ground monitored in real-time. Doctors were looking for signs of potential space-caused blood clots that can form in leg veins and travel to the lungs. Knowledge gained from research aboard the space station is also informing the Artemis II mission including future space missions.

Earlier in their shift, Williams and Hathway kept up their cargo mission training as they simulated capturing the Cygnus XL resupply ship with the Canadarm2 robotic arm using a computer. Mission managers now are targeting no earlier than 8:03 a.m. EDT on Friday, April 10, for the launch of Cygnus XL atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to resupply the Expedition 74 crew.

Meir began her shift collecting her saliva and hair samples for the RelaxPro investigation sponsored by ESA. Doctors will analyze the samples back on Earth for stress-related hormones and immune markers to measure space-associated stress and immunity levels. The ESA relaxation study explores using mindfulness and meditation techniques to improve sleep quality and manage stress during a long-term spaceflight.

Adenot was back inside the Kibo laboratory module setting up a small experimental robotic arm for the TUSK technology demonstration. The TUSK robotic arm is being tested for precise, sub-millimeter motion in weightlessness. Afterward, Adenot joined fellow astronauts Williams, Hathaway, and Meir and practiced their responses on a computer for a simulated emergency then reviewed emergency tools and procedures.

Station commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev, both Roscosmos cosmonauts, joined each other for a pair of crew health studies exploring team psychology and exercise on Tuesday. The duo first participated in a study that provided progressively harder computer tasks that required cooperation. Researchers were recording how crews adapt to working together in the unique conditions of space. Results may inform crew training techniques for future missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Next, Kud-Sverchkov pedaled on an exercise cycle while attached to electrodes and a blood pressure cuff for a fitness test as Mikaev assisted and operated the health monitoring gear.

Fedyaev continued training to use the European robotic arm (ERA) from inside the Nauka science module. Fedyaev tested the ERA in primary and backup modes and practiced maneuvering the ERA while engaging all of its joints.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

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Mark A. Garcia

Celestial Wonders in Leo

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Celestial Wonders in Leo

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Celestial Wonders in Leo

A spiral galaxy is viewed sideways, with the glowing core closer to the upper left of the image. It is surrounded by spiral arms laced through with dark dust and bright regions of star formation.
Showing a large portion of M66, this Hubble photo is a composite of images obtained at visible and infrared wavelengths. The images have been combined to represent the real colors of the galaxy.
Credits:
NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration; Acknowledgment: Davide De Martin and Robert Gendler

Leo is a prominent sight for stargazers in April. Its famous sickle, punctuated by the bright star Regulus, draws many a beginning stargazer’s eyes, inviting deeper looks into some of Leo’s celestial delights, including a great double star and a famous galactic trio.

A star map featuring the Leo constellation. Several bright stars are visible, such as Regulus and Denebola. A group of galaxies called The Leo Triplet are highlighted.
The constellation, Leo. You can find this constellation in the springtime skies.
Stellarium

Leo’s distinctive forward sickle, or “reverse question mark,” is easy to spot as it climbs the skies in the southeast after sunset. If you are having a difficult time spotting the sickle, look for bright Sirius and Procyon in Canis Major and Canis Minor. Complete a triangle by drawing two lines to the east, joining at the bright star Regulus, the “period” in the reverse question mark. Trailing them is a trio of bright stars forming an isosceles triangle, the brightest star in that formation named Denebola. Connecting these two patterns together forms the constellation of Leo the Lion, with the forward-facing sickle being the lion’s head and mane, and the rear triangle its hindquarters. Can you see this mighty feline? It might help to imagine Leo proudly sitting up and staring straight ahead, like a celestial Sphinx. To help find these objects, you can use online tools like Stellarium Web.

If you peer deeper into Leo with a small telescope or binoculars, you’ll find a notable double star! Look in the sickle of Leo for its second-brightest star, Algieba, also called Gamma Leonis. This star splits into two bright yellow stars even with a small magnification. You can make this “split” with binoculars, but it’s more apparent with a telescope. Compare the color and intensity of these two stars: do you notice any differences? There are other multiple-star systems in Leo; spend a few minutes scanning with your instrument of choice, and see what you discover.

A star map featuring the Leo Triplet - M65, M66 and NGC 3628 - the Hamburger Galaxy. These can be found in the Leo constellation.
The Leo Triplet – three galaxies that appear to be close together under the star Chertan in the Leo constellation.
Stellarium

One of the most famous sights in Leo is the “Leo Triplet”: three galaxies that appear to be close together. They are indeed gravitationally bound to one another, around 30 million light-years away! You’ll need a telescope to spot them, and use an eyepiece with a wide field of view to see all three galaxies at once! Look below the star Chertan to find galaxies M65, M66, and NGC 3628 – The Hamburger Galaxy. Compare and contrast the appearance of each galaxy – while they are all spiral galaxies, each one is tilted at different angles to our point of view! Do they all look like spiral galaxies to you?

April is Citizen Science Month, and there are some fun Leo-related activities you can participate in! If you enjoy
comparing the Triplets, the Galaxy Zoo project could use your eyes to help classify different galaxies from sky survey data! Looking at Leo itself can even help measure light pollution: the Globe at Night project uses Leo as their target constellation for sky quality observations from the Northern Hemisphere. Find and participate in many more NASA community science programs at NASA Citizen Science. Happy observing!

Originally posted by Dave Prosper: April 2021

Last Updated by Kat Troche: April 2026

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NASA’s Northrop Grumman CRS-24 Mission Targets Friday, April 10 Launch

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NASA’s Northrop Grumman CRS-24 Mission Targets Friday, April 10 Launch

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft, carrying more than 11,000 pounds of new science investigations and supplies for the Expedition 73 crew, approaches the International Space Station. The two spacecraft were orbiting 257 miles above a cloudy Mumbai, India. Cygnus XL is an expanded version of Northrop Grumman’s previous Cygnus cargo vehicle, offering increased payload capacity and pressurized cargo volume.
Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft, carrying more than 11,000 pounds of new science investigations and supplies, approaches the International Space Station on Sept. 18, 2025.
NASA

NASA, Northrop Grumman, and SpaceX now are targeting no earlier than 8:03 a.m. EDT Friday, April 10, for the next Cygnus XL and Falcon 9 launch opportunity to resupply the International Space Station. Teams adjusted the Wednesday, April 8, launch opportunity due to forecasted inclement weather at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. 

Following an April 10 launch, astronauts aboard the space station will use the Canadarm2 to capture the Cygnus XL at 11:39 p.m. Saturday, April 11, before the spacecraft is robotically installed on the Unity module’s Earth-facing port for cargo unloading. If needed, the next available launch opportunity is 7:40 a.m., on April 11. 

Watch the agency’s launch and arrival coverage on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.  

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

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Mark A. Garcia

NASA’s Artemis II Crew Beams Official Moon Flyby Photos to Earth

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NASA’s Artemis II Crew Beams Official Moon Flyby Photos to Earth

The Moon, backlit by the Sun during a solar eclipse, is photographed by NASA’s Orion spacecraft on April 6, 2026, during the Artemis II mission. Orion is visible in the foreground on the left. Earth is reflecting sunlight at the left edge of the Moon, which is slightly brighter than the rest of the disk. The bright spot visible just below the Moon’s bottom right edge is Saturn. Beyond that, the bright spot at the right edge of the image is Mars.
The Moon, backlit by the Sun during a solar eclipse, is photographed by NASA’s Orion spacecraft on Monday, April 6, 2026, during the Artemis II mission. Orion is visible in the foreground on the left. Earth is reflecting sunlight at the left edge of the Moon, which is slightly brighter than the rest of the disk. The bright spot visible just below the Moon’s bottom right edge is Saturn. Beyond that, the bright spot at the right edge of the image is Mars.
Credit: NASA

The first flyby images of the Moon captured by NASA’s Artemis II astronauts during their historic test flight reveal some regions no human has seen, including a rare in-space solar eclipse. Released Tuesday, astronauts captured the images April 6 during the mission’s seven-hour flyby of the lunar far side, showing humanity’s return to the Moon’s vicinity and opening a trove of scientific data.

NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, have used a fleet of cameras to take thousands of photos. The agency released several images, with more expected in the coming days as the crew members are more than halfway through their journey and now headed home toward Earth.

“Our four Artemis II astronauts — Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy — took humanity on an incredible journey around the Moon and brought back images so exquisite and brimming with science, they will inspire generations to come,” said Dr. Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters in Washington.

During the lunar flyby, the crew documented impact craters, ancient lava flows, and surface fractures that will help scientists study the Moon’s geologic evolution. They monitored color, brightness, and texture differences across the terrain, observed an earthset and earthrise, and captured solar‑eclipse views of the Sun’s corona. The crew also reported six meteoroid impact flashes on the darkened lunar surface.

As the Artemis II crew came close to passing behind the Moon and experiencing a planned loss of signal, they captured this image of a crescent Earth setting on the Moon’s limb. The edge of the visible surface of the Moon is called the “lunar limb.” Seen from afar, it almost looks like a circular arc – except when backlit, as in other images captured by the Artemis II crew. In this photo, the dark portion of Earth is experiencing nighttime, while Australia and Oceania are in the daylight. In the foreground, the Ohm crater is visible, with terraced edges and a flat floor interrupted by central peaks.
Peeking at Earth
As NASA’s Artemis II crew came close to passing behind the Moon and experiencing a planned loss of signal on Monday, April 6, 2026, they captured this image of a crescent Earth setting on the Moon’s limb. In this photo, the dark portion of Earth is experiencing nighttime, while Australia and Oceania are in the daylight. In the foreground, the Ohm crater is visible, with terraced edges and a flat floor interrupted by central peaks. Peaks such as these form in complex craters when the lunar surface is liquified on impact, and the liquefied surface splashes upward during the crater’s formation.
Credit: NASA

The lunar surface fills the frame in sharp detail, as seen during NASA's Artemis II lunar flyby, while a distant Earth sets in the background. In this image, the dark portion of Earth is experiencing nighttime, while on its day side, swirling clouds are visible over the Australia and Oceania region. In the foreground, Ohm crater shows terraced edges and a relatively flat floor marked by central peaks — formed when the surface rebounded upward during the impact that created the crater.
Setting Earth
The lunar surface fills the frame in sharp detail, as seen during NASA’s Artemis II lunar flyby, while a distant Earth sets in the background. This image was captured at 6:41 p.m. EDT, on April 6, 2026, just three minutes before the Orion spacecraft and its crew went behind the Moon and lost contact with Earth for 40 minutes before emerging on the other side. In this image, the dark portion of Earth is experiencing nighttime, while on its day side, swirling clouds are visible over the Australia and Oceania region. In the foreground, Ohm crater shows terraced edges and a relatively flat floor marked by central peaks — formed when the surface rebounded upward during the impact that created the crater.
Credit: NASA

A close-up view taken by the Artemis II crew of Vavilov Crater on the rim of the older and larger Hertzsprung basin on Monday, April 6, 2026. The right portion of the image shows the transition from smooth material within an inner ring of mountains to more rugged terrain around the rim. Vavilov and other craters and their ejecta are accentuated by long shadows at the terminator, the boundary between lunar day and night.
Shadows Across Vavilov Crater
A close-up view taken by the Artemis II crew of Vavilov Crater on the rim of the older and larger Hertzsprung basin on Monday, April 6, 2026. The right portion of the image shows the transition from smooth material within an inner ring of mountains to more rugged terrain around the rim. Vavilov and other craters and their ejecta are accentuated by long shadows at the terminator, the boundary between lunar day and night. The image was captured with a handheld camera at a focal length of 400 mm, as the crew flew around the far side of the Moon.
Credit: NASA

In this photo, Earth's soft blue hue and scattered white cloud systems stand out against the blackness of space, while the lower portion fades into night. Taken with a 400 mm lens, the image, Earthrise, reveals a striking alignment of Earth and Moon, with the Moon in the top foreground and the Earth below. Along the lunar horizon, rugged terrain is silhouetted against the bright crescent Earth. Both bodies are oriented with their north poles to the left and south poles to the right, offering a unique perspective of our home planet from deep space. This photo was rotated 90 degrees clockwise for standard viewing orientation.
Artemis Era Earthrise
Earthrise captured through the Orion spacecraft window at 7:22 p.m. EDT on Monday, April 6, 2026, during the Artemis II crew’s flyby of the Moon’s far side. Earth appears as a delicate crescent, with only its upper edge illuminated. The planet’s soft blue hue and scattered white cloud systems stand out against the blackness of space, while the lower portion fades into night. Taken with a 400 mm lens, the image, Earthrise, reveals a striking alignment of Earth and Moon, with the Moon in the top foreground and the Earth below. Along the lunar horizon, rugged terrain is silhouetted against the bright crescent Earth. Both bodies are oriented with their north poles to the left and south poles to the right, offering a unique perspective of our home planet from deep space. This photo was rotated 90 degrees clockwise for standard viewing orientation.
Credit: NASA

In this photo, the corona forms a glowing halo around the dark lunar disk, revealing details of the Sun’s outer atmosphere typically hidden by its brightness. Also visible are stars, typically too faint to see when imaging the Moon, but with the Moon in darkness stars are readily imaged. This unique vantage point provides both a striking visual and a valuable opportunity for astronauts to document and describe the corona during humanity’s return to deep space. The faint glow of the nearside of the Moon is visible in this image, having been illuminated by light reflected off the Earth.
Artemis II in Eclipse
Captured by the Artemis II crew during their lunar flyby on Monday, April 6, 2026, this image shows the Moon fully eclipsing the Sun. From the crew’s perspective, the Moon appears large enough to completely block the Sun, creating nearly 54 minutes of totality and extending the view far beyond what is possible from Earth. The corona forms a glowing halo around the dark lunar disk, revealing details of the Sun’s outer atmosphere typically hidden by its brightness. Also visible are stars, typically too faint to see when imaging the Moon, but with the Moon in darkness stars are readily imaged. This unique vantage point provides both a striking visual and a valuable opportunity for astronauts to document and describe the corona during humanity’s return to deep space. The faint glow of the nearside of the Moon is visible in this image, having been illuminated by light reflected off the Earth.
Credit: NASA

In this photo, we see a glowing halo around the dark lunar disk. The science community is investigating whether this effect is due to the corona, zodiacal light, or a combination of the two. From this deep-space vantage point, the Moon appeared large enough to sustain nearly 54 minutes of totality, far longer than total solar eclipses typically seen from Earth. The bright silver glint on the left edge of the image is the planet Venus. The round, dark gray feature visible along the Moon’s horizon between the 9 and 10 o’clock positions is Mare Crisium, a feature visible from Earth. We see faint lunar features because light reflected off of Earth provides a source of illumination.
Artemis II Total Solar Eclipse, Partial Frame
A close-up view from the Orion spacecraft during the Artemis II crew’s lunar flyby on Monday, April 6, 2026, captures a total solar eclipse, with only part of the Moon visible in the frame as it fully obscures the Sun. Although the full lunar disk extends beyond the image, the Sun’s faint corona remains visible as a soft halo of light around the Moon’s edge. From this deep-space vantage point, the Moon appeared large enough to sustain nearly 54 minutes of totality, far longer than total solar eclipses typically seen from Earth. This cropped perspective emphasizes the scale of the alignment and reveals subtle structure in the corona during the rare, extended eclipse observed by the crew. The bright silver glint on the left edge of the image is the planet Venus. The round, dark gray feature visible along the Moon’s horizon between the 9 and 10 o’clock positions is Mare Crisium, a feature visible from Earth. We see faint lunar features because light reflected off of Earth provides a source of illumination.
Credit: NASA

A muted blue Earth with bright white clouds sets behind the cratered lunar surface. The dark portion of Earth is experiencing nighttime. On Earth’s day side, swirling clouds are visible over the Australia and Oceania region. In the foreground, Ohm crater has terraced edges and a flat floor interrupted by central peaks. Central peaks form in complex craters when the lunar surface, liquefied on impact, splashes upwards during the crater’s formation.
Earthset
Earthset captured through the Orion spacecraft window at 6:41 p.m. EDT, April 6, 2026, during the Artemis II crew’s flyby of the Moon. A muted blue Earth with bright white clouds sets behind the cratered lunar surface. The dark portion of Earth is experiencing nighttime. On Earth’s day side, swirling clouds are visible over the Australia and Oceania region. In the foreground, Ohm crater has terraced edges and a flat floor interrupted by central peaks. Central peaks form in complex craters when the lunar surface, liquefied on impact, splashes upwards during the crater’s formation.
Credit: NASA

Artemis II Pilot Victor Glover, Commander Reid Wiseman, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen configure their camera equipment shortly before beginning their lunar flyby observations inside the Orion spacecraft.
Final Flyby Preparations
NASA astronauts Victor Glover and Reid Wiseman, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen prepare for their journey around the far side of the Moon by configuring their camera equipment shortly before beginning the Artemis II lunar flyby observations.
Credit: NASA

Captured by the Artemis II crew, the heavily cratered terrain of the eastern edge of the South Pole-Aitken basin is seen with the shadowed terminator – the boundary between lunar day and night – at the top of the image.
Ready for Close Up
Captured by the Artemis II crew, the heavily cratered terrain of the eastern edge of the South Pole-Aitken basin is seen with the shadowed terminator – the boundary between lunar day and night – at the top of the image. The South Pole-Aitken basin is the largest and oldest basin on the Moon, providing a glimpse into an ancient geologic history built up over billions of years.
Credit: NASA


Scientists already are analyzing the downlinked images, audio, and data to refine the timing and locations of these events and compare them with observations from amateur astronomers. The new imagery also will help NASA better understand the Moon’s geology and inform future exploration and science missions that will lay the foundation for an enduring presence on the Moon ahead of future astronaut missions to Mars.

“It was remarkable listening to the crew describe the stunning views during the flyby,” said Jacob Bleacher, NASA’s chief exploration scientist at the agency’s headquarters. “At first, their descriptions didn’t quite match what we were seeing on our screens. Now that higher resolution images are coming down, we can finally experience the moments they were trying to share and truly appreciate the scientific return provided by these images and our other research on this mission.” 

Official NASA imagery for viewing and download is available on the agency website and digital platforms, including:

Media should follow NASA’s media usage guidelines for all publication and distribution of these images.

NASA is targeting 8:07 p.m. EDT (5:07 p.m. PDT) Friday, April 10, for the return of Artemis II off the coast of San Diego. NASA+ live return coverage begins at 6:30 p.m.  and will continue until NASA and Department of War personnel safely assist the crew out of Orion and transport them to the USS John P. Murtha.

Briefings, events, and 24/7 mission coverage are streaming on NASA’s YouTube channel and events will each have their own stream closer to their start time. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of online platforms, including social media.

As part of Golden Age of innovation and exploration, NASA will send Artemis astronauts on increasingly difficult missions to explore more of the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build on our foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.

To learn more about the Artemis program, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis

-end-

Cheryl Warner / Katherine Rohloff
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
cheryl.m.warner@nasa.gov / katherine.a.rohloff@nasa.gov

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Apr 07, 2026

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