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SpaceNews.com • Jeff Foust

SpaceX completes in‑flight abort test for Crew Dragon, clears key crew‑certification milestone

SpaceX successfully tested Crew Dragon’s in‑flight abort system, completing one of the final certification milestones required for the spacecraft to carry astronauts. The result advances crew‑certification efforts and reduces a primary technical hurdle before commercial and NASA crew missions can proceed.

2026-04-01T21:02:02.007219-07:00

Space.com

What makes the Artemis II launch different from other rocket launches?

2026-04-01T17:39:21.857227-07:00

The Atlantic

On the Ground at the Launch That Restarted America’s Return to the Moon

2026-04-01T16:58:57.216846-07:00

Space.com

Artemis II cleared for launch after last‑minute battery fix; crew departs O&C amid public send‑off

2026-04-01T09:01:09.393423-07:00

News Timeline

SpaceNews.com

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SpaceX completes in‑flight abort test for Crew Dragon, clears key crew‑certification milestone SpaceX successfully tested Crew Dragon’s in‑flight abort system, completing one of the final certification milestones required for the spacecraft to carry astronauts. The result advances crew‑certification efforts and reduces a primary technical hurdle before commercial and NASA crew missions can proceed.

2026-04-01T21:02:02.007219-07:00

SpaceX completes in‑flight abort test for Crew Dragon, clears key crew‑certification milestone

Space.com

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What makes the Artemis II launch different from other rocket launches? An explainer on the technical, operational and programmatic features that distinguish the Artemis II launch from routine orbital flights. The piece examines mission profile, vehicle architecture, human-rating procedures and the integrated ground and software systems that raise complexity and program stakes compared with standard launches.

2026-04-01T17:39:21.857227-07:00

What makes the Artemis II launch different from other rocket launches?

The Atlantic

On the Ground at the Launch That Restarted America’s Return to the Moon A reporter on site at the Trump administration’s pivotal launch that restarted America’s return to the Moon, documenting the technical milestones, contractor activity and launch‑pad operations that signalled renewed momentum for U.S. crewed lunar missions and the industrial base supporting them.

2026-04-01T16:58:57.216846-07:00

On the Ground at the Launch That Restarted America’s Return to the Moon

New York Times

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Christina Koch to Be the First Woman to Journey Around the Moon Christina Koch will become the first woman to journey around the Moon. Koch previously set the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman and participated in NASA's first all‑female spacewalk, credentials cited as she is named to the upcoming lunar circumlunar flight.

2026-04-01T11:19:57.414022-07:00

Christina Koch to Be the First Woman to Journey Around the Moon

New York Times

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Victor Glover to be first Black astronaut to orbit the Moon as Artemis II pilot Victor Glover, named pilot of NASA's Artemis II crewed lunar flyby, will become the first Black astronaut to orbit the Moon. A veteran since 2013 and the first Black astronaut on a long‑duration ISS expedition, Glover's assignment spotlights an often‑overlooked lineage of Black American explorers.

2026-04-01T11:00:50.892807-07:00

Victor Glover to be first Black astronaut to orbit the Moon as Artemis II pilot

New York Times

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Reid Wiseman named commander of Artemis II, NASA's first crewed Moon mission since 1972 Reid Wiseman, who as a child never imagined becoming an astronaut, will command Artemis II — NASA’s first crewed mission to the Moon since 1972. The flight places Wiseman at the center of efforts to validate Orion systems and deep‑space operational procedures for future lunar returns.

2026-04-01T10:20:01.163500-07:00

Reid Wiseman named commander of Artemis II, NASA's first crewed Moon mission since 1972

Space.com

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Artemis II foregrounds human health: immune-system shifts and organ-on-a-chip tests on the crewed lunar flyby Artemis II's crewed lunar flyby will carry a biomedical suite probing immune-system shifts and organ-on-a-chip responses to deep-space conditions. Those experiments will characterise physiological changes beyond low Earth orbit and validate medical diagnostics and countermeasures required for sustained lunar operations and future Mars missions.

2026-04-01T10:16:52.330185-07:00

Artemis II foregrounds human health: immune-system shifts and organ-on-a-chip tests on the crewed lunar flyby

Space.com

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Artemis II cleared for launch after last‑minute battery fix; crew departs O&C amid public send‑off NASA's Artemis II crew received a public send-off as mission teams resolved a pre‑launch battery issue and cleared the flight for liftoff. Enthusiasts, student engineers and mission superfans gathered to boost public enthusiasm while NASA streamed the crewed lunar flyby launch via live webcast.

2026-04-01T09:01:09.393423-07:00

Artemis II cleared for launch after last‑minute battery fix; crew departs O&C amid public send‑off

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Human Spaceflight & Space Stations News

SpaceX completes in‑flight abort test for Crew Dragon, clears key crew‑certification milestone

What makes the Artemis II launch different from other rocket launches?

On the Ground at the Launch That Restarted America’s Return to the Moon

Artemis II cleared for launch after last‑minute battery fix; crew departs O&C amid public send‑off

News Timeline