Artemis II Crew Soars Toward Moon as Global Tensions Affect Fuel Prices
In a historic milestone for space exploration, NASA's Artemis II mission has successfully left Earth's orbit and is now on its trajectory to the moon. The crewed Orion spacecraft, carrying astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, Victor Glover, and Jeremy Hansen, completed a critical translunar injection burn, marking the first time humans have ventured beyond Earth orbit since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. The 10-day test flight will see the astronauts fly within approximately 6,000 miles of the lunar surface, rigorously testing the spacecraft's systems on this crucial pathfinder mission before the planned Artemis III lunar landing. From the depths of space, the crew has already begun sharing their experience, with NASA releasing the first stunning images of Earth taken from inside the Orion capsule by Commander Reid Wiseman. The astronauts described the moment of leaving Earth's orbit as a 'spectacular' event, communicating their excitement live with media outlets during the journey. The mission, which launched on April 1, 2026, is operating on a carefully managed schedule, with the crew sleeping in cycles and performing necessary orbital adjustments. On Earth, the geopolitical landscape continues to influence global economies. As the Artemis mission progresses, Pakistan is facing significant domestic pressure due to a drastic government-mandated increase in fuel prices. Petrol prices have surged to 458.40 rupees per litre, a 42.7% increase, while diesel has breached 500 rupees. This economic strain comes as Pakistan attempts to position itself as a key mediator between the U.S. and Iran, a role that Tehran has publicly denied. The price hike is indirectly linked to ongoing regional tensions, including recent missile attacks, such as the one that damaged a building in Ramat Gan, Israel, further complicating Pakistan's diplomatic and economic situation.
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It’s a test mission, right?,” NASA administrator Jared Isaacman said in a recent interview with NBC News. During Artemis II, a 10-day mission, astronauts will fly by the moon and come within about 6,000 miles of its surface as they test equipment on Orion spacecraft.
'Mediator' Pakistan feels the heat as petrol price breaches PKR 450, diesel goes over 500 due to Middle East war - The Economic Times
Diesel prices in Pakistan have ... petrol prices have increased by 42.7 per cent to 458.40 rupees per litre, reported news agency Reuters. This comes at a time when the Trump administration has pushed to bring its war with Iran to an end and Pakistan has emerged as a key mediator, a role Tehran has denied. ALSO READ: Gujarat weather forecast · Pakistan's government on Thursday drastically raised fuel prices in ...
SEE ALL NEWSLETTERS Children ... Search for topics, people, articles... India Elections World Sport Data Health Opinion Science Entertainment Premium ... Vehicles wait for their turn to get fuel at a petrol station, as Pakistan raises fuel prices amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in ...
NASA releases stunning first photos of Earth from Artemis II moon mission | Science and Technology News | Al Jazeera
As of midmorning Friday, the crew ... on the moon. ... This image provided by NASA shows a downlink image of Earth taken by NASA’s Artemis II astronaut commander Reid Wiseman inside the Orion capsule on Friday, April 3, 2026 [NASA via AP] By Elizabeth Melimopoulos and The Associated Press ... NASA has released the first images taken from inside the Artemis II Orion spacecraft, where four astronauts are currently travelling on a mission around the ...
Artemis II live updates: Astronauts closer to the moon than Earth, NASA says - ABC News
CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen and NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, Victor Glover speak with ABC News from the Orion spacecraft as it heads to the moon, April 2, 2026. ... NASA's Artemis II mission lifted off on April 1 at 6:35 p.m.
The Artemis II crew is officially on their way to the moon, after successfully completing the critical translunar injection burn. This burn was the last major engine firing of the mission and set the spacecraft on the free-return trajectory that will bring the crew back to Earth for splashdown. ... The crew slept in two cycles today. After four hours, they woke up to adjust the Orion capsule’s orbit and then went back to sleep for another four hours. When they woke up, NASA ...
Artemis II astronauts describe 'spectacular moment' in space after leaving Earth's orbit - BBC News
We’re closing our live coverage ... to the Moon. In the latest of nervy moments for the crew and ground team supporting them, the Artemis II mission was able to successfully execute a trans-lunar injection. “I am so excited to be able to tell you that for the first time since 1972 during Apollo 17, human beings have left Earth orbit,” relieved Nasa scientist ...
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