Our A2 science team similarly had to simulate views for months to prepare the crew for shots like this. The beautiful point imho is that humans on crewed AND robotic missions are taking time to capture the wonder along with the baseline data.

The Artemis II mission reminds me of these 1960s photos of NASA astronauts training in Iceland because they felt the terrain would be similar to what they'd encounter on the moon. The outfits are so great, even some 60 years later.

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On Monday this week, as four humans flew around the far side of the Moon, Nature correspondent Alexandra Witze sat at the heart of the Artemis II mission’s science operations. Here's what she saw. go.nature.com/4dE5gpv

Two main types of rock exposed on the lunar surface. The dark maria are basalt, the same type of black lava rock that flows from Iceland and Hawai`i volcanoes. The lighter highlands are anorthosite, made mostly of gray plagioclase feldspar, labradorite. Lots of kitchens have labradorite countertops!

A few have suggested that some aspects of this mission--joy, international teamwork, diversity--are being played up to stick it to the hateful attitude of the administration. But I don't think it's that. I think it's just that those things are essential to and inseparable from a mission like this.

I am so thrilled to share this guide to the observations that the #ArtemisII crew will be making during their closest approach to the Moon!! I hope you'll follow along! science.nasa.gov/resource/art...

Science finds a place on Artemis 2 While the Artemis 2 mission is primarily a test flight, the four astronauts on board will conduct some science during the nearly 10-day mission.

little fact: The Earth’s core (both solid and liquid) could fit 8 Earth Moons within it

As a Principle Component Analysis hater, I gotta admit that Spotify Wrapped’s sorting of the gays between Burlington and Berkeley is an actually good PCA application if that’s how they did it. Brava

My dream is to one day be described with the phrase “Like an ursine Sarah Connor” (Congrats to 128 Grazer for winning Fat Bear Week) www.npr.org/2023/10/11/1...