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Space.com • Mike Wall

Artemis II nears launch as final SLS fueling test and safety scrutiny decide first crewed SLS/Orion lunar flyby

NASA’s Artemis II — the first crewed flight of the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft — will send four astronauts (Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen) on a roughly ten‑day hybrid free‑return around the Moon. A critical SLS fueling test this week will determine launch timing and mission risk posture.

Also: ABC News, jatan.space and Florida Today
2026-02-02T10:43:07.809840-08:00
Satellite   ESA   Space Policy & International Cooperation   Space Defense & Militarization  
spaceanddefense.io

Laurent Jaffart appointed Director of Resilience, Navigation and Connectivity

By spaceanddefense.io: The European Space Agency Council has approved the reassignment of Laurent Jaffart to a newly created senior leadership role focused on resilience, navigation and connectivity, reflecting the growing strategic importance of space-based infrastructure to European security and defence priorities.

2026-02-01T16:34:43.031785-08:00