Artemis II mission concludes

NASA's most ambitious lunar mission in half a century has come to a safe end, marking a major milestone in the agency's effort to return humans to the moon's surface.

Astronaut Christina Koch and her crewmates were recovered by the U.S. Navy after their 10-day flight tested the critical systems needed for future deep-space exploration.

While the mission was a technical success, images of the charred heat shield have sparked a debate among experts about its durability during high-velocity reentry.

Teams at the Kennedy Space Center are now preparing the mobile launcher for Artemis III, which aims to land the first woman and person of color on the lunar south pole.