Pic of the Week: Preparing for the Artemis II Mission

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): NASA’s SLS and Orion spacecraft moving from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center. (NASA)

This week’s image shows NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion spacecraft making its way from the Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B via the crawler-transporter. All of this is in preparation for the Artemis II mission, which will take four astronauts around the Moon. The flight could launch as early as February 6th.

NASA has reported that the Artemis II mission will include various items to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States, including:

  • a 1-inch by-1-inch swatch of muslin fabric from the original Wright Flyer the Wright Brothers used to make the first powered flight in 1903;
  • a 13-by-8-inch American flag, which flew with the first shuttle mission, STS-1, the final shuttle mission, STS-135, and NASA’s first crewed test flight of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft, SpaceX Demo-2;
  • a flag that was set to fly on NASA’s Apollo 18 mission is included in the flight kit and will make its premiere flight with Orion;
  • a 4-by-5-inch negative of a photo from the Ranger 7 mission, the first U.S. mission to successfully make contact with the lunar surface;
  • soil samples collected from the base of established Artemis I Moon Trees planted at NASA’s 10 centers;
  • an SD card including the millions of names of those who participated in the “Send Your Name to Space” campaign, bringing the public along on this journey; and
  • items from several NASA partners.

Pic of the Week: The Safe Return of Crew-11

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): NASA astronaut Mike Fincke as he exits the Dragon Endeavour spacecraft on January 15, 2025. (NASA)

This week’s image shows return of Crew-11 from the International Space Station (ISS). They landed safely on the morning of January 15th. As shown above, NASA astronaut Mike Fincke was the first member of the mission to exit the capsule. You can watch the entire video here.

Earlier this week, Mr. Fincke posted a few comments about the team’s early departure from the ISS:

What stands out most to me is how clearly NASA cares about its people. Flight surgeons, engineers, managers, and support teams came together quickly and professionally to chart the best path forward. The ground teams—across mission control centers and partner organizations around the world—have been extraordinary. We’re proud of the joint work we’ve done and the camaraderie we’ve shared, including some great songs and more than a few dad jokes.

Pic of the Week: Liftoff of the New Glenn Rocket

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket as it launched from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on November 13, 2025. (Blue Origin)

This week’s image comes from Scientific American magazine’s best space photos of 2025. It shows Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket lifting off from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on November 13, 2025. It was carrying NASA’s twin Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (ESCAPADE) spacecraft, which are destined for Mars. The two identical spacecraft will investigate how the solar wind interacts with Mars’ magnetic environment and how this interaction drives the planet’s atmospheric escape.

Pic of the Week: The Moon from Kyiv

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Ildar Ibotullin’s “The Moon from Kyiv.” (Planetary Society)

This week’s image is from the Planetary Society’s magazine called The Planetary Report, which had a series of great photos in an article titled “The Year in Pictures.” This image is from 19-year-old student and amateur astrophotographer Ildar Ibatullin who lives in Kyiv, Ukraine. It is titled “The Moon from Kyiv.”

Here is the story behind the image taken from the website:

Ildar captured the photo in the midst of an air raid alert, an event that has become common in Kyiv since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Even as air raid sirens sounded throughout the city,” Ildar told The Planetary Society, “I was able to document the beauty above us, creating a powerful contrast between the realities of war on the ground and the unchanging celestial landscape. I believe it demonstrates how astronomy and astrophotography can provide moments of wonder and perspective even in the most challenging circumstances.”

You can see more of the Planetary Society’s images from 2025 in the online version of the magazine.

Also, if you are looking for a good summary of the space mission and related issues from 2025, you should check out the recent Planetary Radio podcast episode “Looking Back: Space Exploration in 2025.”