ARTEMIS

As the historic year of spaceflight closes, 2022 will target new achievements.

The Whisky Barrel, an online spirits merchant, is celebrating the past and future of NASA missions to the moon with limited scotch whiskey offerings for 2022.

NASA continues “reviewing launch opportunities” in March and April for the Artemis I moon rocket after an engine controller failed a communications test.

A new NASA video advertises a suite of its real-life missions as previewing yet more adventurous possible exploration.

Aerospace giant Northrop Grumman announced on Tuesday (Nov. 16) that it's leading a private team designing a crewed moon buggy for potential use by NASA's Artemis program.

The Artemis moon program will cost $93 billion through 2025, according to a new estimate from NASA's Inspector General.

Snoopy, or rather a stuffed toy of the famous cartoon dog, will once again don his astronaut suit and fly onboard the Orion spacecraft for the Artemis I mission to the moon next year.

NASA has pushed its next moon landing to 2025. But why is it trying to go at all?

NASA will likely not land humans on the moon in 2024 as the agency projected under the Trump administration.

Now that Blue Origin’s latest challenge was struck down by a federal court, NASA is moving ahead with SpaceX to resume work as quickly as possible, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said.

ORLANDO, Fla. — NASA will resume working with Space X to develop a modern human lunar lander. This comes after the U.S. Court of Federal Claims denied Blue Origin’s bid protest, upholding NASA’s selection of SpaceX to develop the Artemis Lunar Lander. NASA continues working with multiple American companies in order to foster competition and commercial readiness for crewed missions to the Moon. Read: NASA makes final preparations for rocket heading around the moon in FebruaryUnder the Artemis program, NASA plans to lead the world in landing the first woman and person of color on the Moon’s surface. Read: NASA confirms there is water on the moon that astronauts may be able to useThe Artemis mission will also conduct other operations on the Moon, including getting ready for human missions to Mars.

A federal judge has denied Blue Origin's protest of a multibillion-dollar NASA moon lander contract awarded to SpaceX earlier this year, the agency confirmed Thursday.

Even more powerful than Saturn V, NASA’s next moon rocket towers over its high bay platforms in the Vehicle Assembly Building.

The United States Senate's largest committee wants NASA to choose a second company to build its new moon lander.

As commercial companies take over flights to low Earth orbit, the space agency is looking to deep space for its new mission.

NASA is awarding a total of $146 million to five American companies to aid the development of crewed moon landers, agency officials announced Tuesday (Sept. 14).

The Artemis program will see the first woman and the first person of color on the moon, along with the first participation by international astronauts.

A week after Blue Origin filed a lawsuit against NASA over its decision to award SpaceX a nearly $3 billion moon contract the space agency says it is voluntarily pausing work on the human lunar landing system until the legal matter is resolved.

The first piece of hardware of the first rocket to fly humans around the moon in decades arrived in Florida this week.

Blue Origin is escalating its fight over NASA’s decision to award SpaceX a multibillion-dollar lunar contract.

The new audit found that spending on spacesuit development has more than doubled, however, the agency is nowhere near a final product ready for flight.

Moonwalkers of the Artemis generation are going to need some new gear and very soon if NASA plans to achieve its goal.

GAO said NASA’s decision to award the contract to SpaceX “was reasonable, and consistent with applicable procurement law, regulation and the announcement’s terms.”

Jeff Bezos is offering to waive $2 billion in payments if NASA selects Blue Origin's human moon lander for the Artemis program.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex has announced special programs and events beginning next week to celebrate NASA’s Artemis missions to return humans to the moon. “Artemis Short Film Festival”: The series of shorts will explore key elements of upcoming Artemis missions, featuring everything from ground support to launch services. Veteran NASA astronaut Mike Mullane will also host a similar talk on July 24 at 3 p.m. Veteran NASA astronaut Mike Mullane will also host a similar talk on July 24 at 3 p.m. “Women in Space”: Under Artemis, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the moon. Company begins selling $125K tickets for balloon trips to the edge of spaceAll events are included with daily admission to the visitor complex.

A manikin flying onboard NASA’s first Artemis flight around the moon will be named for an electrical engineer who helped the Apollo 13 astronauts survive their perilous spaceflight.

Behind the scenes, NASA's Artemis program relies on Commercial Lunar Payload Services partners to deliver science equipment to the moon.

Brazil has signed on to the NASA-led Artemis Accords initiative to explore the moon responsibly.

The U.S. Senate passed a bill that would allocate nearly $250 billion to American scientific and technical research — including $10 billion for NASA to fund private crewed moon landers.

Lockheed Martin and GM announced today (May 26) that they're developing a rover for potential use by NASA's Artemis program, which is working to get astronauts back to the moon.

Another private company has picked SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to launch its moon lander carrying NASA and private research to the lunar surface.

This time, the U.S. plans to stay on the moon with a sustainable presence with the help of international and commercial partners.

Sending supplies to NASA’s orbiting moon outpost will require a whole new logistical game plan but that’s where a key KSC team comes into play.

NASA's project aims to bring human beings back to the moon by 2024

With the moon above, teams began offloading the SLS core stage Thursday.

A key piece of hardware for NASA’s Artemis moon rocket floated into Port Canaveral Tuesday afternoon in the final stages of its journey from the Gulf Coast.

Both Dynetics and Blue Origin have filled a bid protest with the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

It's official: SpaceX will be building the spacecraft that will land NASA astronauts on the moon.

NASA has selected SpaceX’s Starship spaceship to be the first company to put astronauts back on the moon under the Artemis program.

This spring will mark the 60th anniversary of human spaceflight, or 60 years since Russian pilot and cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human being to go to space. Today, NASA is working to land the first woman on the moon as part of the Artemis program.

NASA will land the first person of color in addition to the first woman on the moon with the Artemis program, NASA's Acting Administrator Steve Jurczyk revealed today (April 9).

Don't expect big changes at NASA if Bill Nelson does end up leading the space agency. Nelson served as chairman when Democrats controlled the chamber and ranking member when Republicans were in charge.) Video: Watch Bill Nelson launch into space aboard ColumbiaSince leaving the Senate, Nelson has served on the NASA Advisory Council. "Biden has passed up the opportunity to put new blood in there, male or female, in favor of continuity," Logsdon said. All of the above is conditional, of course, for Nelson must still be confirmed as NASA administrator by the U.S. Senate.

At 4:37 p.m. the core stage fired its four engines on the test stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. A previous green run hot fire on Jan. 16 was also supposed to run for eight minutes but barely fired for one minute. Ad[RELATED: What to know about NASA’s final Green Run test of the Artemis rocket]🚀 Today, the @NASA_SLS core stage that will power our @NASAArtemis I mission to the Moon successfully completed its Green Run hot fire test. Here’s a recap: https://t.co/QpYSIQq4ox pic.twitter.com/aLmEkS9pbA — NASA (@NASA) March 18, 2021Engineers had to repeat the test to get more data. The core stage will be refurbished before it’s sent via barge ship down to Florida.

The core stage of the Artemis 1 SLS rocket as seen on the test stand at NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. NASA's moon megarocket is facing yet another testing delay ahead of the vehicle's expected first flight for the Artemis program . The tests are occurring at the NASA Stennis Space Center in Mississippi ahead of being shipped to Florida for the uncrewed Artemis 1 launch from the NASA Kennedy Space Center, near Orlando. In a short update Monday (Feb. 22), NASA said it is "reviewing the performance of a valve on the core stage" of the SLS, forcing the agency to delay the second "hot fire" test. Video: How NASA's SLS megarocket engine test worksThe agency confirmed that the valve in question worked properly during the first hot fire test , conducted on Jan. 16.

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy will launch the lunar Gateway propulsion system and the habitation module, the foundation of the orbiting space outpost, NASA announced Tuesday. AdThe U.S. space agency’s launch services program will manage the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launch on NASA’s end overseeing the build, delivery and launch. NASA has selected Falcon Heavy to launch the first two elements of the lunar Gateway together on one mission! “The Falcon Heavy was chosen probably because the Falcon Heavy is less expensive and the SLS isn’t quite ready yet,” Forczyk said. That element is slated to launch on the second flight of NASA’s Space Launch System, the agency’s Artemis rocket.

The pre-recorded panel discussion aired Wednesday at noon on NASA TV and online, along with NASA’s social media channels. In his role at NASA, Delgado ensures small businesses are able to compete for NASA contracts, which can add up to millions, making or breaking a small business. AdThe “Power of African American Leadership in NASA” panel examined how different leaders throughout the U.S. space program have helped drive success. Asked why diversity is so important to space exploration or any industry Wyche said diversity is tied to innovation. I mean, everybody, every bright mind that’s willing.”AdThe event was hosted in partnership with several NASA groups to encourage diversity is one way NASA is celebrating Black History month.

Engineers reviewing data from an aborted first stage test firing of NASA's Artemis moon rocket have decided to carry out a second "hot fire" test of the huge booster toward the end of February, the agency announced Friday. The second test run is expected to last at least four minutes. NASANASA originally planned to ship the rocket in February following a planned eight-minute test firing on January 16. A hydrogen-fueled second stage will propel the Orion spacecraft to the moon. NASA, meanwhile, is awaiting guidance from the Biden administration, which has not yet revealed what its space priorities might be.

NASA continues to test the RS-25 engines that will send astronauts atop the Artemis rocket, known as the Space Launch System, to the moon. [Watch the rocket engine test at the top of this story]NASA says the tests will provide important data for Aerojet Rocketdyne as the contractor begins building new RS-25 engines for future SLS flights. LIVE: Watch an RS-25 engine that will help power our @NASA_SLS rocket on future missions to the Moon and Mars come alive at @NASAStennis. At this rate, the 212-foot core stage made by Boeing is down to about six “tanks” on its lifespan. In a news release regarding the RS-25 engine testing, NASA said the Green Run team continues to evaluate if a second hot fire test of the core stage is required.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. – The mega-rocket even more powerful than the Saturn V is coming together at the Kennedy Space Center and also NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. On the Gulf Coast Saturday, the Space Launch System is scheduled for a major engine test. The rocket is key to NASA’s Artemis program with plans to return humans to the lunar surface by 2024. And by the year 2024, NASA still plans on SLS and Orion sending the first man and next woman to the Moon. Artemis I would become the first launch from KSC launch complex 39B since 2009.

This illustration made available by NASA in April 2020 depicts Artemis astronauts on the Moon. (NASA via AP)A Canadian astronaut will join NASA astronauts on the first crewed mission to the moon in over 50 years, making Canada the second nation to have an astronaut fly around the moon, reports News 6 partner Florida Today. Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, the first Canadian to walk in space, took to Twitter to express his excitement over the historic announcement. “Two Canadian astronauts are going to the Moon! The second flight with a Canadian astronaut would be on a later flight.

NASA's quest to put boots back on the moon will likely get less urgent after President-elect Joe Biden takes office next month. That ambitious deadline, which was announced by Vice President Mike Pence in 2019 , will likely be relaxed under the Biden administration, experts say. And these probably won't just be empty words under a Biden administration. These two postulated changes — delaying the 2024 moon landing and boosting NASA Earth science — may end up working in concert. (The current agency chief, Jim Bridenstine, has said he won't continue in the top job in the Biden administration .)

NASA's Artemis program to land humans on the moon by 2024 faces fresh challenges after a fiscal 2021 NASA spending bill allocated less money to the human landing system than what the agency requested. Congress released an omnibus spending bill Monday (Dec. 21) allotting $23.3 billion to NASA. While NASA will receive $642 million more than fiscal year 2020, the bill falls about $2 billion short of the agency's $25.246 billion request, according to SpaceNews. Allocating $1.1 billion for space technology programs, at the same level as 2020 but much less than the administration's $1.6 billion request. The 2021 U.S. spending bill also included $2 billion for Space Force, the newest branch of the American armed forces.

Nine women are among the 18 astronauts who will train for NASA's upcoming Artemis missions, with the goal of sending humans back to the moon and, eventually, to Mars. The space agency is aiming for a 2024 moon landing — and this time, it won't just be men making the trip. NASA has promised that the Artemis program will send the first woman to walk on the moon. Astronaut Stephanie Wilson NASAWilson is the longest-serving astronaut on the Artemis team, selected in 1996. Nicole Mann, 43Nicole Mann, one of the rookies on NASA's Artemis team, was born in Petaluma, California and holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the U.S.

President Donald Trump released a new national space policy Wednesday (Dec. 9), laying out the fundamental principles of, and chief priorities for, the United States' diverse space activities going forward. The newly issued national space policy recognizes that "space is and should be a priority intelligence domain," Ratcliffe added. "If our adversaries challenge us in space, they will face a truly united national security space team," he said. The new national space policy, a 40-page document, is similar in many ways to the official policy issued in 2010 by President Barack Obama. It's unclear, however, how much of an impact the newly issued national space policy will have.

On Wednesday, NASA announced the astronauts hand-picked for the prestigious Artemis moon program, which plans to send the first woman and next man to the moon in 2024. Vice President Pence announced the Artemis astronauts at the National Space Council meeting held at Kennedy Space Center where every manned mission to the moon launched. Half of the astronauts selected were women – one of whom will make history as the first woman on the moon. Jessica Meir, who was also selected, served as a flight engineer for Expedition 61 and 62 on the International Space Station. The moon-landing mission, Artemis III could carry up to four astronauts and plans to land for the first time on the lunar South Pole.

NASA announces "Artemis Team" of astronauts for future moon missions NASA has selected 18 astronauts to begin training for missions to the moon as part of its "Artemis" program. NASA wants to go back to the moon to establish a sustainable presence and prepare for future trips to Mars. Vice President Mike Pence revealed the names of the astronauts Wednesday at the Kennedy Space Center. The first woman and the next man to walk on the lunar surface will come from this group. Mark Strassmann reports on who they are.

"This is the first cadre of our Artemis astronauts," NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said before asking Pence to introduce the selected astronauts. Video: Vice President Mike Pence announces NASA's Artemis astronautsRelated: NASA unveils the 1st 'Artemis Team' astronauts for moon missionsImage 1 of 8 NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Christina Koch seen on the International Space Station. (Image credit: NASA) Image 2 of 8 NASA astronaut Stephanie Wilson poses for an official NASA portrait. (Image credit: NASA) Image 7 of 8 NASA astronaut Anne McClain inside the International Space Station's Cupola. (Image credit: NASA) Image 8 of 8 NASA astronaut Nicole Mann and her Boeing Starliner CST-100 Crew Flight Test crewmate Mike Fincke.

Pence announced the names of the first astronauts cadre to train for the next missions to the lunar surface under NASA’s Artemis program. Many of the astronauts already have spaceflight experience while for others a mission to the moon could be their first journey into space. Among those selected is astronaut Victor Glover and Kate Rubins, both who are currently on the International Space Station. Meet the following astronauts:Joe Acaba, astronaut class 2004Kayla Barron, astronaut class 2017Raja Chari, astronaut class 2017Matthew Dominick, astronaut class 2017Victor Glover, astronaut class 2013Warren Hoburg, astronaut class 2017Jonny Kim, astronaut class 2017Christina Koch, astronaut class 2013Kjell Lindgren, astronaut class 2009Nicole Mann, astronaut class 2013Anne McCLain, astronaut class 2013Jessica Meir, astronaut class 2013Jasmine Moghbeli, astronaut class 2017Kate Rubins, astronaut class 2009Frank Rubio, astronaut class 2017Scott Tingle, astronaut class 2009Jessica Watkins, astronaut class 2017Stephanie Wilson, astronaut class 1996You can read their biographies here. In addition to naming the first Artemis astronauts, Pence revealed a new space policy from the White House and officially renamed Patrick Air Force Base as Patrick Space Force Base.

Pence introduces NASA's Artemis moon program astronauts Vice President Mike Pence attended a meeting of the National Space Council at the Kennedy Space Center and introduced some of the astronauts who will take part in NASA's Artemis program, which aims to return to the moon in 2024. Watch a portion of his remarks.

Vice President Mike Pence spoke about the future of the space program on Wednesday during a visit to the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. He discussed the mission to get astronauts back to the moon by 2024 under NASA's Artemis program, and introduced a group of astronauts who will take part. He formally announced the names of 18 astronauts from which NASA will choose the commanders, pilots, and mission specialists who will go to the moon as part of the Artemis program. Five of the astronauts for NASA's Artemis program, which aims to return to the moon in 2024, are introduced at the Kennedy Space Center on Dec. 9, 2020. Pence announced that two military bases on Florida's Space Coast have become the first to carry the name Space Force on their designation as military bases: Patrick Air Force Base and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station will now be Patrick Space Force Base and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Eighteen astronauts — nine men and nine women — have been selected to begin training for upcoming Artemis missions to the moon, NASA announced Wednesday. Five of the astronauts for NASA's Artemis program, which aims to return to the moon in 2024, are introduced at the Kennedy Space Center on Dec. 9, 2020. "The Artemis (astronauts) are the heroes of American space exploration in the future." "We are in the midst of negotiating to get that lander funded," said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, updating the Space Council on the Artemis program's progress. The 18 astronauts named Wednesday are among the most diverse groups NASA has ever put together: nine men, including four with space flight experience, and nine women, including five space veterans.

Vice President Mike Pence will visit Kennedy Space Center today (Dec. 9) for the eighth meeting of the National Space Council, and you can watch it live online. The National Space Council meeting starts at 12:30 p.m. EDT (1730 GMT) at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Vice President Mike Pence will chair the meeting, during which he will deliver remarks on NASA's Artemis program and the space accomplishments of the Trump Administration.This will be the final space council meeting led by Vice President Pence before President-elect Joe Biden's administration moves in in January. The military news site Defense One has reported that he may announce the renaming of those bases as the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Patrick Space Force Base. The National Space Council helps steer and streamline American space policy.

A recently discovered fault in the agency’s Orion capsule has engineers troubleshooting solutions that could impact the timing of its test flight, currently scheduled for liftoff from Kennedy Space Center next November. Though the PDU itself still works, what is essentially part of its backup system is out of the picture. The three-week test will see the 16-foot-diameter capsule launch on SLS, orbit the moon for six days, then return for splashdown off the California coast. In its July report, the OIG said continuing to produce Orion capsules for all Artemis missions before certain milestones are complete, like Artemis I, poses serious risks. Last month’s discovery of the PDU issue appears to reinforce their position.

NASA has struck deals with four private companies to buy pieces of the moon at bargain prices that are far from astronomical. NASA just bought the rights to four batches of future moon samples for the low, low price of $25,001. The space agency inked deals with four companies that will collect lunar rock and dirt in the next few years and then sign the material over to NASA. (NASA already has a lot of moon rocks here; the Apollo missions hauled home 842 lbs., or 342 kilograms, of lunar material between 1969 and 1972.) NASA officials stressed that the coming activities will be conducted in compliance with the Outer Space Treaty (OST), the 1967 document that forms the basis of international space law.

Scientists say the moon’s shadowed, frigid nooks and crannies may hold frozen water in more places and in larger quantities than previously suspected. Another NASA scientist on the call, Dr. Jacob Bleacher, touched on the importance of water for the agency’s exploration plans. “We confirmed water on the sunlit surface of the Moon for the 1st time using @SOFIAtelescope,” Bridenstine tweeted. “We don’t know yet if we can use it as a resource, but learning about water on the Moon is key for our #Artemis exploration plans.”Earlier, NASA tweeted, “Happy Monday, skygazers! We don’t know yet if we can use it as a resource, but learning about water on the Moon is key for our #Artemis exploration plans.

Space agencies are at a crucial pivot point as international consortiums embark on ambitious endeavors like returning samples from Mars and sending human missions to the moon, according to a recent panel discussion. The Artemis work builds upon decades of space agency cooperation on the International Space Station, Bridenstine said during the panel. "This collaboration is critically important," Bridenstine said of NASA's Artemis work with ESA. The equipment can also analyze samples of the moon on site, which has been done at Mars before — for example, on NASA's Curiosity mission . "Space exploration is really a pillar in nurturing and sustaining industrial excellence," Zeminiani said.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA’s new moonshot rules: No fighting and littering. The space agency released a set of guidelines Tuesday for its Artemis moon-landing program, based on the 1967 Outer Space Treaty and other agreements. Founding members include the U.S., Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. The coalition can say, “Look, you’re in this program with the rest of us, but you’re not playing by the same rules,” Bridenstine said. ___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education.

Eight nations have signed the Artemis Accords , a set of principles outlining the responsible exploration of Earth's nearest neighbor, NASA officials announced today (Oct. 13). But he stressed that the Artemis Accords are fully consistent with pre-existing treaties, including the most important one — 1967's Outer Space Treaty (OST), which forms the basis for international space law. The Artemis Accords state that the use of space resources can benefit humanity. Such mining activities will be conducted in full compliance with the OST, the Artemis Accords stress. (The Accords already covered Mars as well as the moon ; NASA intends for the Artemis work to serve as a stepping stone for crewed missions to the Red Planet in the 2030s.)

An artist's depiction of astronauts walking on the moon as part of NASA's Artemis program. Astronauts hopping about on the lunar surface will soak up about 60 microsieverts of radiation per hour, a new study reports. The total equivalent dose that poses this risk depends on the astronaut's gender and age at the start of radiation exposure, among other factors. All of this doesn't mean that Artemis astronauts will ship off to the moon for two-year stints, however; NASA will doubtless want to stretch spaceflyers' radiation exposure out over time for safety's sake. And NASA will likely still take pains to minimize the radiation risk experienced by Artemis astronauts, especially those who spend a large chunk of time on and around the moon.

NASA has selected a Blue Origin-led team, Dynetics and SpaceX's Starship to develop new moon landers for astronauts for the agency's Artemis lunar program. The moon landers that three commercial teams are developing to ferry astronauts to and from the lunar surface for NASA are a diverse bunch. This SpaceX concept shows the company's massive Starship vehicle on the moon as a lunar lander for NASA Artemis astronauts. "It has a unique low-slung crew module, putting the crew very close to the lunar surface for safe access," Watson-Morgan added. The descent stage will be based on Blue Origin's Blue Moon lander and BE-7 engine, which the company has been working on for a few years now.

NASA has picked three companies to develop new lunar landers that will carry astronauts to the surface of the moon in 2024 and beyond. Related: NASA unveils plan for Artemis 'base camp' on the moon beyond 2024Image 1 of 3 This SpaceX concept shows the company's massive Starship vehicle on the moon as a lunar lander for NASA Artemis astronauts. (Image credit: SpaceX) Image 2 of 3 This Artemis moon lander concept from Blue Origin's National Team includes systems by team partners Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Draper. (Image credit: Blue Origin) Image 3 of 3 A moon lander concept from Dynetics, one of three U.S. contractors selected by NASA to develop Artemis lunar landers for astronauts. NASA will work with the three commercial teams over the next 10 months, assessing their progress all the while.

Related: NASA's Artemis moon program just photobombed a spacewalk (photo)Artemis Base CampThe star of the report is what NASA has dubbed Artemis Base Camp, meant to be a long-term foothold for lunar exploration, perhaps in Shackleton Crater at the moon's south pole. (NASA is currently envisioning Mars surface missions as lasting just 30 to 45 days to reduce risks , according to the same document.) "Mobility is a major part of the Artemis Base Camp," the report reads. "In time, Artemis Base Camp might also include a hopper that could deliver science and technology payloads all over the moon and which could be operated by crew at Artemis Base Camp and refueled using locally sourced propellant," the report reads. "A lunar far-side radio telescope could also be remotely emplaced and operated from Artemis Base Camp a sort of backyard radio-telescope at our first encampment on the moon."

One of these obstacles is radiation, and so researchers are working to find a way to protect a crew against the dangerous radiation of deep space. Related: Mars Explorers Will Tackle Radiation, Depression and Space BreadThe European Space Agency's Solar Orbiter will take the first-ever direct images of the sun's poles. In its following chapter, Artemis would help engineers learn more about the deep space environment to safely send humans on long-duration missions to Mars. Astronauts on the International Space Station don't have to worry a tremendous amount about radiation because most individual missions last six months to under a year. It's hard to study this radiation environment from Earth sending experiments to the moon and to Mars and making rigorous observations will be essential to sending the first humans to Mars.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft will deliver supplies to NASA’s spacecraft orbiting the moon part of the U.S. space agency’s goal to return astronauts to the lunar surface by 2024. NASA announced Friday it had awarded a firm-fixed-price indefinite contract to SpaceX for a maximum of $7 billion for at least two missions to NASA’s lunar Gateway. The SpaceX cargo Dragon spacecraft already delivers supplies to the International Space Station and a Crew Dragon spacecraft will soon begin launching astronauts to the ISS as soon as mid-May. While SpaceX is the first contractor selected to make supply runs to Gateway NASA plans to accept additional bids from other service providers. Prior to any visits from a Dragon spacecraft, NASA must assemble the Gateway in space.

NASA has awarded nearly $1 million to student teams looking to deploy robots, towers and other technologies alongside moon-roaming astronauts . The agency's Artemis program plans to return humans to the lunar surface in 2024 supported by a suite of robotic helpers, many of which will be delivered through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, which includes several commercial companies . The students now receiving Artemis funding, however, are focusing on a narrow challenge: creating instruments that will work in permanently shadowed craters on the moon. Related: NASA's Artemis moon program just photobombed a spacewalk (photo)But these regions are also incredibly hostile. NASA selected eight teams to receive between $80,000 and $165,000 apiece to continue developing their projects.

Sunday Profile: Kim NovakNow on the cusp of turning 87, Kim Novak is still finding herself. The star of such classics as Alfred Hitchcock's "Vertigo," "Picnic," and "Bell, Book and Candle," the actress turned her back on Hollywood in the 1960s and has since pursued artwork and a love of animals. Mo Rocca reports.

Politics Week in Review: Trump admin. faces scrutinyThe Trump administration is facing increased scrutiny over intelligence that led to a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad that killed a top Iranian general. Meanwhile, the House of Representatives is preparing to send the articles of impeachment against President Trump to the Senate as early as this week. CBSN political contributor and White House reporter for The Associated Press Zeke Miller joins CBSN for a recap of all the political headlines.

Three years ago, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center made history when it named Charlie Blackwell-Thompson launch director. “When I came here to Kennedy Space Center, and I walked in Fire Room 1, I absolutely knew that I wanted to be a part of this team,” she said. In 2016, she was offered the job by NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Director Robert Cabana and become the first woman in the history of NASA to hold that position. We’re also doing what we call launch team simulations, those have already started months ago,” Blackwell-Thompson said. Her journey at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center spans more than three decades with many fulfilling moments and challenges.

NASA has dubbed this path back to the moon Artemis, after Apollo's twin sister in Greek mythology. NASA is calling this the Artemis program in honor of Apollo's twin sister in Greek mythology, the goddess of the Moon. Other factors of the design represent the Earth, the moon and our trajectory from the moon to Mars. Currently, the focus is on the moon, but NASA sees these concepts as workable for a Mars mission, as well. Astronauts will launch on Artemis 2, and the first woman and next man to walk on the moon will launch on Artemis 3.