Science TechnologyTuesday, 31 March 2026·https://testbook.com/current-affairs/31-march-2026-daily-current-affairs
Artemis II to be NASA’s first crewed Moon mission since Apollo; launch set for April 1, 2026
NASA’s Artemis II mission is scheduled for April 1, 2026, with four astronauts aboard the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft.
Key highlights
Direct fact
In April 2026, NASA scheduled Artemis II to lift off from Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, as the first crewed Moon mission in more than 53 years, using the 32-storey Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft.
Key specifics
- Launch window: 2 hours, opening at 6:24 PM on April 1, 2026.
- Crew of 4 astronauts: Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen.
- Victor Glover will be the first person of colour on a lunar mission.
- Christina Koch will become the first woman to travel beyond low-Earth orbit.
- Jeremy Hansen will be the first non-American astronaut to journey to the Moon.
Exam lens
Science & technology MCQ focus: Artemis II, SLS, Orion, Kennedy Space Center, April 1, 2026, 10-day mission, free-return lunar flyby. TNPSC may ask the firsts associated with each astronaut and the launch site.