NASA’s Artemis II mission to fly by the moon, comprising of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion crew capsule, lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S. April 1, 2026. REUTERS

On Wednesday, the world watched as NASA’s Artemis II mission lifted off from Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Artemis II is NASA’s first crewed mission to orbit the Moon since Apollo, marking a major milestone in the agency’s return to lunar exploration.

Modern space exploration is driven as much by processors as it is by rockets. And it remains the ultimate test of our collective ingenuity.

As NASA prepares for its Artemis II mission, a Central Florida man who helped make the first moon landing possible is reflecting on decades of progress in space exploration.

The U.S. Space and Rocket Center sees a surge in visitors following the historic Artemis II launch, the first crewed lunar mission in over 50 years.

Laurie Leshin, professor with ASU’s School of Earth and Space Exploration, spoke about how the Artemis II launch brings NASA one step closer to sending people to the moon again.

Artemis II will test NASA’s crew capabilities in deep space and gather more information that could ultimately help send astronauts to Mars.

François Picard is pleased to welcome from Toulouse in southwest France, European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet. As an astronaut who has experienced spaceflight firsthand, Pesquet sees the Artemis II mission not simply as a technological milestone,

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Omega’s Speedmaster has long been Nasa’s go-to, but other space programmes are exploring partnerships with the likes of IWC Schaffhausen, Fortis and Barrelhand.

From metallics to super knits, space exploration fused with fashion's technical innovations has transformed style across decades.