Apple News Today NASA’s $100 billion bet on the moon is about to launch
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Mar 31, 2026 A rundown of NASA’s Artemis II crewed lunar flyby, its costs, goals and the debate over private moon landers. Coverage of Iran’s new fees on ships in the Strait of Hormuz and the strategic stakes around Kharg Island. Reporting on a little-known immigration appeals court reshaping deportation policy. Quick headlines on a Michigan attack, Air Canada leadership fallout, and Céline Dion’s comeback.
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Artemis II Is A Dress Rehearsal For A Permanent Moon Return
- NASA's Artemis II is a 10-day lunar flyby serving as a dress rehearsal for a planned 2028 moon landing program.
- The four-person crew will break deep-space distance records and test communications when they swing briefly behind the moon.
Crew Composition And How Close The Capsule Will Get
- Artemis II will feature historic firsts: Victor Glover first Black man, Christina Cook first woman, Jeremy Hansen first Canadian to travel into the moon's vicinity.
- The capsule will approach within about 4,000–6,000 miles, making the Moon look like a basketball at arm's length.
Artemis Aims To Stay Not Just Visit
- Artemis is not aimed at symbolic flags and footprints; NASA's goal is to build a sustained lunar presence and explore resources like water.
- The program targets technology development for deeper space travel and aims to cost nearly $100 billion so far.