Artemis Stuff

[Syne]

https://x.com/NASA/status/2036526244418691147

It's about time.

[Yazata]

Moon base artists concept by NASA

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[Yazata]

SLS is back on the pad, Artemis II is scheduled to try to launch around the Moon next week, April 1, 6:24 PM EDT, and its crew has arrived at Cape Canaveral

From left to right: Canadian Jeremy Hansen and Americans Christina Koch, Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover

(I fell in love with Christina a couple of years ago, and Victor Glover is one of my favorite astronauts. I'm not familiar with the other two.)

The Right Stuff!

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[Yazata]

Ways to watch the official NASA broadcasts. (NASA+, NASA Youtube, @NASA X, NASA Facebook, NASA Twitch) In addition, there will be all kinds of streams by various space enthusiasts.

https://www.nasa.gov/ways-to-watch/

[Yazata]

Photographers are setting up for tomorrow's hoped-for Artemis II launch

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And Jared says:

"Artemis II is on schedule for launch tomorrow at 6:24 p.m ET.

We’re monitoring an extremely complex vehicle, but everything is lining up. The rocket is healthy, the spacecraft is ready, the crew is in position, and the weather is looking good."

[Yazata]

LabPadre is replaying NASA's stream, I'll be watching there cuz the people on Avid Space are my friends

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/0lZMyop2nxU

[Yazata]

Almost problem-free countdown. Beautiful launch. The four Artemis II astronauts are safely in space.

(Photos by Andrew McCarthy)

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(NASA photo)

The Right Stuff:

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[Yazata]

A BBC reporter was really feeling it

https://x.com/toseendayo/status/2039580666908606599

A CNN reporter asked a kid an idiot question and got an answer that turned the kid into an instant internet celebrity:

CNN: "Why do you want to be here?... Why do you love being a part of history?

Kid: "We're going back to the fucking moon, that's why!"

https://x.com/pmarca/status/2039459330181976134

The kid's parents are probably mortified.

But Jared replied saying

"Oh this kid is definitely getting a bag of NASA gear!"

I love it!

https://x.com/rookisaacman/status/2039540860048876025

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[C C]

Relief for astronauts as fault fixed on Nasa’s $30m Artemis II toilet
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026...hip-toilet

EXCEPTS: A blinking fault light on Nasa’s Orion spacecraft signalled an unwelcome setback at the start of the historic Artemis II mission: the toilet was out of order.

Fortunately for the four astronauts on board for the 10-day mission, the issue was quickly resolved, with mission control confirming: “Happy to report that toilet is go for use. We do recommend letting the system get to operating speed before donating fluid, and then letting it run a little bit after donation.”

And despite the shaky start, the spacecraft’s $30m (£22.6m) Universal Waste Management System (UWMS) has been hailed as a leap forward in deep space toilet technology. The system was years in development and designed to improve on longstanding complaints from astronauts about onboard facilities.

On the Apollo missions, astronauts were required to pee into a condom-like contraption placed under the spacesuit (all Apollo crew being male). Solid waste was collected into a bag taped to the astronaut’s buttocks. The setup was prone to leaks, with one mission transcript recording an alarmed crew member noticing “a turd floating through the air”. And while a Nasa report concluded that the primitive setup had broadly met its objectives from a purely engineering standpoint, it “must be given poor marks” for crew satisfaction.

The upgrade to the UWMS has seen Orion fitted with a private toilet cubicle – a first for a space shuttle – accessed through a door on the floor next to the hatch that astronauts use to enter the spacecraft. Handrails and foot tethers will allow the crew to remain secure while visiting the bathroom.

[...] The toilet has a funnel attached to a hose for urine and is fitted with a small seat. Since everything floats in space, the faeces are sucked down into a bag at the base of the toilet bowl, which is then squished down into a canister. The suction is so noisy that the cubical is lined with insulation and the crew must wear ear protection while inside.

During longer missions, such as visits to the International Space Station, astronauts now recycle almost all liquid waste, processing urine and sweat to turn it into drinkable water. But on a short mission such as Artemis II, the crew will vent urine out of the spacecraft every day, and faecal waste will be stored in a collection container that will be disposed of on return to Earth.

[Yazata]

Successful trans-lunar injection burn about an hour ago. Artemis II has officially left Earth orbit and is on its way out to the Moon.

https://x.com/NASAAdmin/status/2039857997556416676

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The Kid's response to the CNN reporter continues to be an internet sensation

The New York Post

https://nypost.com/2026/04/01/us-news/yo...ce=twitter

The White House

https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/2039847495660974415