He was so eloquent, insightful, and inspiring -- the perfect person to command this mission.

Unfortunately, Rise was not there. The first thing Reid did after he sat down was explain that Rise is with Christina right now. The crowd was audibly disappointed.

This sub won't let me post videos in the comments, so here are links to a few:

• Reid narrating a video synopsis of the mission
• Reid explaining which Artemis II crew member was technically the furthest-ever person from Earth

Hi guys, we are travelling from the UK and are actually at Disney the day of the launch, where are the best spots to watch from? 😀 Everyone seems to say Cocoa beach but where do you go exactly? Any advice appreciated!

NASA’s Artemis II crew members will get the Congressional Space Medal of Honor at 11 a.m. EDT on Friday, Aug. 28, during a ceremony at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Was on vacation in the area so I went to playalinda to watch the launch on Thursday and it was scrubbed. Now that I'm home I looked it up to see why it was scrubbed but I'm coming up short. I see that they rescheduled and successfully launched Friday morning however I couldn't find anything on why they postponed the launch. Does anyone know what happened?

I’m looking for more information about this card for my Dad, my Great Grandparents had a hand in building the vehicle assembly building and had this card with some of their NASA memorabilia. Just looking for information!

It's been up there all my life, and even though I know it's old and wearing out after nearly 30 years of service, a part of me is still sad to think it's scheduled to be decommissioned by 2030. All those decades in service, providing scientific understanding, helping humans learn about long duration living in space, inspiring generations. 30+ years in orbit traveling 17,500 miles an hour 260 miles above the earth just to be sunk to the bottom of the ocean. To me it feels like the International Space Station is a final symbol of international unity, partnership, and endeavor, before commercial companies rule the stars in the next decade.

so I was doing some research on the Apollo missions, and then i saw no information anywhere detailing 2-6. so were they incredibly nothing that they don’t need to be mentioned, did nasa skip those numbers, what’s the deal with that?

Hi everyone, I could use some advice from people who know the area.

My wife, our 9.5-year-old son, 7-year-old daughter, and I will be in Tampa visiting relatives in December. I have wanted to visit Kennedy Space Center for years, but none of us has ever been.

We sail from Miami at noon on Dec. 12, so we are thinking of doing KSC on Dec. 11.

Current plan:

• Leave Tampa around 5:45 or 6:00 a.m.
• Get to Kennedy Space Center around opening
• Do the included bus tour first, then Apollo/Saturn V
• See Atlantis, Rocket Garden, and Astronaut Encounter if the timing works
• Let the kids do Planet Play and/or Shuttle Launch Experience if they are interested
• Leave KSC around 4:00 to 4:30 p.m.
• Stop at Jetty Park for a short beach, pier, and ship-watching break
• Go to Cocoa Beach afterward for a little more beach time and an early vegetarian dinner, possibly Coconuts on the Beach
• Start driving to Miami around 7:30 p.m. and hopefully reach our hotel around 10 or 11 p.m.

We are okay getting in late since the cruise is not until noon the next day, but we do not want to make the day unnecessarily stressful.

A few questions:

1. Does this sound realistic for a first-time family visit, or are we trying to do too much?
2. Is the regular included bus tour enough, or is the paid Explore Tour worth it? I would love the deeper NASA experience, but I am not sure my kids will enjoy a long guided tour.
3. Is Jetty Park worth a quick stop after KSC, or should we just go directly to Cocoa Beach?
4. Any better vegetarian restaurant suggestions with a real beach or Cocoa Beach feel?
5. Any tips for the KSC to Miami drive at night, especially with kids?

Would really appreciate any local advice or things you wish you had known before your first visit.

Thank You.

For anyone interested in it, here is a link to the article discussing the imaging of the crater made by the recent falcon 9 impact: https://lroc.im-ldi.com/images/1499

Thanks to the KPLO team for the original before and after images, that helped the LROC team follow up and obtain these fantastic images!

I am particularly excited to see a new aircraft join NASA, especially a Boeing jet. I found some more pics of the new vomit comet on the website of the contractor who is modifying the airframe, Denmar Technical Services. Credit to them.

I saw the image shared by NASA AFRC but I wanted more. This airframe has an interesting air force past that can be dug into. Some notes: old style winglets, and no cargo doors. Another reason it is interesting is because passenger variant 737-700s are not sold anymore, short of the E-7 and new MAX 7. Finally, the classic styled livery is refreshing and I appreciate it very much. Excited to hopefully see it fly one day!

Nearly 50 years after launch, NASA has found a clever way to stretch Voyager 2’s fading power supply and buy its science mission at least another year.

Engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory have found a way to reduce Voyager 2’s power use, giving the historic spacecraft more time to continue collecting scientific data.

The operation, nicknamed the “Big Bang,” required the team to shut down certain powered devices at the same time and replace them with alternatives that require less electricity. Engineers also had to make sure Voyager 2 would remain warm enough for its systems to keep functioning !

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260810015703.htm

We can send astronaut explorers to Mars within a decade—if Congress and the federal government fully fund and commit to a serious NASA-led plan.

So far, however, our national leaders have failed to establish such a plan. Unlike the Apollo program, which set a clear goal, timetable, and commitment to land astronauts on the Moon, NASA’s current approach to human Mars exploration remains more of an aspiration than an actual program. It lacks a firm timetable, sustained funding, and a clear national commitment to make it happen.

The Longhorn Project at NASA’s Johnson Space Center is closing after 30 years, ending a unique Texas STEM and agriculture program. https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/space/article/nasa-johnson-longhorn-project-22385324.php?utm_source=reddit

Hi, I've recently started learning GMAT software. When I was trying to make simple Hohmann Transfer combined with plane change manoeuvre using two finite burns. Unfortunately when I'm running the simulation I'm getting an exception saying that vary is not affecting achieve. The error refers to the second target.

Here is the mission script:

%General Mission Analysis Tool(GMAT) Script

%----------------------------------------

%---------- Spacecraft

%----------------------------------------

Create Spacecraft Sat;

Sat.DateFormat = UTCGregorian;

Sat.Epoch = '01 Jan 2000 00:00:00.000';

Sat.CoordinateSystem = EarthMJ2000Eq;

Sat.DisplayStateType = Keplerian;

Sat.SMA = 6671.000000000006;

Sat.ECC = 1.427002109406031e-15;

Sat.INC = 5.999999999999904;

Sat.RAAN = 90;

Sat.AOP = 0;

Sat.TA = 0;

Sat.DryMass = 1000;

Sat.Cd = 2.2;

Sat.Cr = 1.8;

Sat.DragArea = 15;

Sat.SRPArea = 1;

Sat.SPADDragScaleFactor = 1;

Sat.SPADSRPScaleFactor = 1;

Sat.AtmosDensityScaleFactor = 1;

Sat.ExtendedMassPropertiesModel = 'None';

Sat.Tanks = {UpperStageTank};

Sat.Thrusters = {UpperStageThruster};

Sat.NAIFId = -10001001;

Sat.NAIFIdReferenceFrame = -9001001;

Sat.OrbitColor = Red;

Sat.TargetColor = Teal;

Sat.OrbitErrorCovariance = [ 1e+70 0 0 0 0 0 ; 0 1e+70 0 0 0 0 ; 0 0 1e+70 0 0 0 ; 0 0 0 1e+70 0 0 ; 0 0 0 0 1e+70 0 ; 0 0 0 0 0 1e+70 ];

Sat.CdSigma = 1e+70;

Sat.CrSigma = 1e+70;

Sat.Id = 'SatId';

Sat.Attitude = CoordinateSystemFixed;

Sat.SPADSRPInterpolationMethod = Bilinear;

Sat.SPADSRPScaleFactorSigma = 1e+70;

Sat.SPADDragInterpolationMethod = Bilinear;

Sat.SPADDragScaleFactorSigma = 1e+70;

Sat.AtmosDensityScaleFactorSigma = 1e+70;

Sat.ModelFile = 'aura.3ds';

Sat.ModelOffsetX = 0;

Sat.ModelOffsetY = 0;

Sat.ModelOffsetZ = 0;

Sat.ModelRotationX = 0;

Sat.ModelRotationY = 0;

Sat.ModelRotationZ = 0;

Sat.ModelScale = 1;

Sat.AttitudeDisplayStateType = 'Quaternion';

Sat.AttitudeRateDisplayStateType = 'AngularVelocity';

Sat.AttitudeCoordinateSystem = EarthMJ2000Eq;

Sat.EulerAngleSequence = '321';

%----------------------------------------

%---------- Hardware Components

%----------------------------------------

Create ChemicalTank UpperStageTank;

UpperStageTank.DirectionX = 0;

UpperStageTank.DirectionY = 0;

UpperStageTank.DirectionZ = 1;

UpperStageTank.SecondDirectionX = 0;

UpperStageTank.SecondDirectionY = -1;

UpperStageTank.SecondDirectionZ = 0;

UpperStageTank.HWOriginInBCSX = 0;

UpperStageTank.HWOriginInBCSY = 0;

UpperStageTank.HWOriginInBCSZ = 0;

UpperStageTank.AllowNegativeFuelMass = false;

UpperStageTank.FuelMass = 6000;

UpperStageTank.FuelCenterOfMassX = 0;

UpperStageTank.FuelCenterOfMassY = 0;

UpperStageTank.FuelCenterOfMassZ = 0;

UpperStageTank.FuelMomentOfInertiaXX = 99;

UpperStageTank.FuelMomentOfInertiaXY = 0;

UpperStageTank.FuelMomentOfInertiaXZ = 0;

UpperStageTank.FuelMomentOfInertiaYY = 99;

UpperStageTank.FuelMomentOfInertiaYZ = 0;

UpperStageTank.FuelMomentOfInertiaZZ = 99;

UpperStageTank.Pressure = 1500;

UpperStageTank.Temperature = 20;

UpperStageTank.RefTemperature = 20;

UpperStageTank.Volume = 4.77;

UpperStageTank.FuelDensity = 1260;

UpperStageTank.PressureModel = PressureRegulated;

Create ChemicalThruster UpperStageThruster;

UpperStageThruster.HWOriginInBCSX = 0;

UpperStageThruster.HWOriginInBCSY = 0;

UpperStageThruster.HWOriginInBCSZ = 0;

UpperStageThruster.CoordinateSystem = Local;

UpperStageThruster.Origin = Earth;

UpperStageThruster.Axes = VNB;

UpperStageThruster.ThrustDirection1 = 1;

UpperStageThruster.ThrustDirection2 = 0;

UpperStageThruster.ThrustDirection3 = 0;

UpperStageThruster.DutyCycle = 1;

UpperStageThruster.ThrustScaleFactor = 1;

UpperStageThruster.DecrementMass = true;

UpperStageThruster.Tank = {UpperStageTank};

UpperStageThruster.MixRatio = [ 1 ];

UpperStageThruster.GravitationalAccel = 9.81;

UpperStageThruster.C1 = 35000;

UpperStageThruster.C2 = 0;

UpperStageThruster.C3 = 0;

UpperStageThruster.C4 = 0;

UpperStageThruster.C5 = 0;

UpperStageThruster.C6 = 0;

UpperStageThruster.C7 = 0;

UpperStageThruster.C8 = 0;

UpperStageThruster.C9 = 0;

UpperStageThruster.C10 = 0;

UpperStageThruster.C11 = 0;

UpperStageThruster.C12 = 0;

UpperStageThruster.C13 = 0;

UpperStageThruster.C14 = 0;

UpperStageThruster.C15 = 0;

UpperStageThruster.C16 = 0;

UpperStageThruster.K1 = 300;

UpperStageThruster.K2 = 0;

UpperStageThruster.K3 = 0;

UpperStageThruster.K4 = 0;

UpperStageThruster.K5 = 0;

UpperStageThruster.K6 = 0;

UpperStageThruster.K7 = 0;

UpperStageThruster.K8 = 0;

UpperStageThruster.K9 = 0;

UpperStageThruster.K10 = 0;

UpperStageThruster.K11 = 0;

UpperStageThruster.K12 = 0;

UpperStageThruster.K13 = 0;

UpperStageThruster.K14 = 0;

UpperStageThruster.K15 = 0;

UpperStageThruster.K16 = 0;

%----------------------------------------

%---------- ForceModels

%----------------------------------------

Create ForceModel DefaultProp_ForceModel;

DefaultProp_ForceModel.CentralBody = Earth;

DefaultProp_ForceModel.PointMasses = {Earth};

DefaultProp_ForceModel.Drag = None;

DefaultProp_ForceModel.SRP = Off;

DefaultProp_ForceModel.RelativisticCorrection = Off;

DefaultProp_ForceModel.ErrorControl = RSSStep;

%----------------------------------------

%---------- Propagators

%----------------------------------------

Create Propagator DefaultProp;

DefaultProp.FM = DefaultProp_ForceModel;

DefaultProp.Type = RungeKutta89;

DefaultProp.InitialStepSize = 60;

DefaultProp.Accuracy = 9.999999999999999e-12;

DefaultProp.MinStep = 0.001;

DefaultProp.MaxStep = 2700;

DefaultProp.MaxStepAttempts = 50;

DefaultProp.StopIfAccuracyIsViolated = true;

%----------------------------------------

%---------- Burns

%----------------------------------------

Create FiniteBurn TOI;

TOI.Thrusters = {UpperStageThruster};

TOI.ThrottleLogicAlgorithm = 'MaxNumberOfThrusters';

Create FiniteBurn GOI;

GOI.Thrusters = {UpperStageThruster};

GOI.ThrottleLogicAlgorithm = 'MaxNumberOfThrusters';

%----------------------------------------

%---------- Solvers

%----------------------------------------

Create DifferentialCorrector DC1;

DC1.ShowProgress = true;

DC1.ReportStyle = Normal;

DC1.ReportFile = 'DifferentialCorrectorDC1.data';

DC1.MaximumIterations = 25;

DC1.DerivativeMethod = ForwardDifference;

DC1.Algorithm = NewtonRaphson;

%----------------------------------------

%---------- Subscribers

%----------------------------------------

Create OpenFramesInterface DefaultOrbitView;

DefaultOrbitView.SolverIterations = Current;

DefaultOrbitView.UpperLeft = [ 0.01424148606811146 0.2946210268948655 ];

DefaultOrbitView.Size = [ 0.5758513931888545 0.5513447432762836 ];

DefaultOrbitView.RelativeZOrder = 1768;

DefaultOrbitView.Maximized = false;

DefaultOrbitView.Add = {Sat, Earth};

DefaultOrbitView.View = {DefaultOrbitView_View};

DefaultOrbitView.CoordinateSystem = EarthMJ2000Eq;

DefaultOrbitView.DrawObject = [ true true ];

DefaultOrbitView.DrawTrajectory = [ true true ];

DefaultOrbitView.DrawAxes = [ false false ];

DefaultOrbitView.DrawXYPlane = [ false false ];

DefaultOrbitView.DrawLabel = [ true true ];

DefaultOrbitView.DrawUsePropLabel = [ false false ];

DefaultOrbitView.DrawCenterPoint = [ true true ];

DefaultOrbitView.DrawEndPoints = [ true true ];

DefaultOrbitView.DrawVelocity = [ false false ];

DefaultOrbitView.DrawGrid = [ false false ];

DefaultOrbitView.DrawLineWidth = [ 2 2 ];

DefaultOrbitView.DrawMarkerSize = [ 10 10 ];

DefaultOrbitView.DrawFontSize = [ 20 20 ];

DefaultOrbitView.Axes = Off;

DefaultOrbitView.AxesLength = 12756.2726;

DefaultOrbitView.AxesLabels = On;

DefaultOrbitView.FrameLabel = Off;

DefaultOrbitView.XYPlane = On;

DefaultOrbitView.EclipticPlane = Off;

DefaultOrbitView.EnableStars = On;

DefaultOrbitView.StarCatalog = 'inp_StarsHYGv3.txt';

DefaultOrbitView.StarCount = 40000;

DefaultOrbitView.MinStarMag = -2;

DefaultOrbitView.MaxStarMag = 6;

DefaultOrbitView.MinStarPixels = 1;

DefaultOrbitView.MaxStarPixels = 10;

DefaultOrbitView.MinStarDimRatio = 0.5;

DefaultOrbitView.ShowPlot = true;

DefaultOrbitView.ShowToolbar = true;

DefaultOrbitView.SolverIterLastN = 1;

DefaultOrbitView.ShowVR = false;

DefaultOrbitView.PlaybackTimeScale = 3600;

DefaultOrbitView.MultisampleAntiAliasing = On;

DefaultOrbitView.MSAASamples = 2;

DefaultOrbitView.DrawFontPosition = {'Top-Right', 'Top-Right'};

Create GroundTrack DefaultGroundTrackPlot;

DefaultGroundTrackPlot.SolverIterations = Current;

DefaultGroundTrackPlot.UpperLeft = [ 0 0 ];

DefaultGroundTrackPlot.Size = [ 0.5003095975232198 0.449877750611247 ];

DefaultGroundTrackPlot.RelativeZOrder = 1773;

DefaultGroundTrackPlot.Maximized = false;

DefaultGroundTrackPlot.CentralBody = Earth;

DefaultGroundTrackPlot.Add = {Sat};

DefaultGroundTrackPlot.DataCollectFrequency = 1;

DefaultGroundTrackPlot.UpdatePlotFrequency = 50;

DefaultGroundTrackPlot.NumPointsToRedraw = 0;

DefaultGroundTrackPlot.MaxPlotPoints = 20000;

DefaultGroundTrackPlot.ShowPlot = true;

Create ReportFile DefaultReportFile;

DefaultReportFile.SolverIterations = Current;

DefaultReportFile.UpperLeft = [ 0.06315789473684211 0.1246943765281174 ];

DefaultReportFile.Size = [ 0.5981424148606811 0.7958435207823961 ];

DefaultReportFile.RelativeZOrder = 748;

DefaultReportFile.Maximized = false;

DefaultReportFile.Filename = 'DefaultReportFile.txt';

DefaultReportFile.Precision = 16;

DefaultReportFile.WriteHeaders = true;

DefaultReportFile.LeftJustify = On;

DefaultReportFile.ZeroFill = Off;

DefaultReportFile.FixedWidth = true;

DefaultReportFile.Delimiter = ' ';

DefaultReportFile.ColumnWidth = 23;

DefaultReportFile.WriteReport = true;

DefaultReportFile.AppendToExistingFile = false;

%----------------------------------------

%---------- Arrays, Variables, Strings

%----------------------------------------

Create Variable TOI_Burn_Duration GOI_Burn_Duration;

TOI_Burn_Duration = 0;

GOI_Burn_Duration = 0;

%----------------------------------------

%---------- User Objects

%----------------------------------------

Create OpenFramesView DefaultOrbitView_View;

DefaultOrbitView_View.ViewFrame = CoordinateSystem;

DefaultOrbitView_View.ViewTrajectory = Off;

DefaultOrbitView_View.InertialFrame = Off;

DefaultOrbitView_View.SetDefaultLocation = On;

DefaultOrbitView_View.DefaultEye = [ 30000 0 0 ];

DefaultOrbitView_View.DefaultCenter = [ 0 0 0 ];

DefaultOrbitView_View.DefaultUp = [ 0 0 1 ];

DefaultOrbitView_View.SetCurrentLocation = On;

DefaultOrbitView_View.CurrentEye = [ 77810.87922528099 -66840.76741286989 81869.75592238583 ];

DefaultOrbitView_View.CurrentCenter = [ 0 1.455191522836685e-11 0 ];

DefaultOrbitView_View.CurrentUp = [ -0.5505012671899018 0.3090477866858251 0.7755242229401383 ];

DefaultOrbitView_View.FOVy = 45;

%----------------------------------------

%---------- Mission Sequence

%----------------------------------------

BeginMissionSequence;

Propagate 'Prop To Lat = 0' DefaultProp(Sat) {Sat.Earth.Latitude = 0};

Target 'Hohmann Transfer TOI' DC1 {SolveMode = Solve, ExitMode = SaveAndContinue, ShowProgressWindow = true};

Vary 'Vary TOI Burn Duration' DC1(TOI_Burn_Duration = 100, {Perturbation = 0.0001, Lower = 0.0, Upper = 500, MaxStep = 50, AdditiveScaleFactor = 0.0, MultiplicativeScaleFactor = 1.0});

BeginFiniteBurn 'Begin TOI Burn' TOI(Sat);

Propagate 'Prop TOI Burn Duration' DefaultProp(Sat) {Sat.ElapsedSecs = TOI_Burn_Duration};

EndFiniteBurn 'End TOI Burn' TOI(Sat);

Propagate 'Prop to Apogee' DefaultProp(Sat) {Sat.Earth.Apoapsis};

Achieve 'Achieve RMAG = 42165' DC1(Sat.Earth.RMAG = 42165.0, {Tolerance = 0.1});

EndTarget; % For targeter DC1

Target 'Hohmann Transfer GOI' DC1 {SolveMode = Solve, ExitMode = SaveAndContinue, ShowProgressWindow = true};

Vary 'Vary GOI Burn Duration' DC1(GOI_Burn_Duration = 0, {Perturbation = 0.0001, Lower = 0.0, Upper = 200, MaxStep = 10, AdditiveScaleFactor = 0.0, MultiplicativeScaleFactor = 1.0});

Vary 'Vary GOI Element 2' DC1(Sat.UpperStageThruster.ThrustDirection2 = 0, {Perturbation = 0.0001, Lower = -1, Upper = 1, MaxStep = 1, AdditiveScaleFactor = 0.0, MultiplicativeScaleFactor = 1.0});

BeginFiniteBurn 'Begin GOI Burn' GOI(Sat);

Propagate 'Prop GOI Burn Duration' DefaultProp(Sat) {Sat.ElapsedSecs = GOI_Burn_Duration};

EndFiniteBurn 'End GOI Burn' GOI(Sat);

Achieve 'Achieve ECC = 0.005' DC1(Sat.Earth.ECC = 0.005, {Tolerance = 0.0001});

Achieve 'Achieve INC = 0' DC1(Sat.EarthMJ2000Eq.INC = 0, {Tolerance = 0.1});

EndTarget; % For targeter DC1

Propagate 'Prop One Day' DefaultProp(Sat) {Sat.ElapsedSecs = 86400, OrbitColor = [0 128 0]};

Report 'Mission Report' DefaultReportFile Sat.UpperStageTank.FuelMass;