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Artemis astronauts preparing for historic lunar flyby

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Artemis astronauts preparing for historic lunar flyby


This handout picture provided by Nasa shows the Orion spacecraft captured by a camera mounted on one of its solar array wings during a routine external inspection of the spacecraft on the second day into the Artemis II mission, on April 3, 2026. — AFP
  • Astronauts take photographs to document trip.
  • Crew sees far side of Moon from new vantage.
  • Mission could take humans farther than ever before.

HOUSTON: The Artemis astronauts were gearing up Saturday for their long-anticipated lunar flyby, including reviewing the surface features they must analyse and photograph during their time circling the Moon.

Upon waking around 1635 GMT on Saturday, the astronauts were approximately 169,000 miles (271,979 kilometres) from Earth, and approaching the Moon at 110,700 miles (178,154 kilometres), according to Nasa.

The next major milestone of the approximately 10-day journey is expected overnight Sunday into Monday, at which point the astronauts will enter the “lunar sphere of influence” — when the Moon’s gravity will have stronger pull on the spacecraft than Earth’s.

If all proceeds smoothly, as Orion whips around the Moon the astronauts could set a record by venturing farther from Earth than any human before.

The astronauts kicked off their day with a meal that included scrambled eggs and coffee, Nasa said, and had woken up to the tune of Chappell Roan’s pop smash “Pink Pony Club.”

“Morale is high on board,” commander Reid Wiseman told Houston’s Mission Control Centre as the space crew’s work day began.

The father of two girls was in high spirits in part because he had the chance to speak with his daughters from space.

“We’re up here, we’re so far away, and for a moment, I was reunited with my little family,” he told a live press conference. “It was just the greatest moment of my entire life.”

Wiseman along with fellow Americans Christina Koch and Victor Glover as well as Canadian Jeremy Hansen are on a historic journey around the Moon, which they’re soon due to slingshot around.

It’s a feat Wiseman has dubbed “Herculean” and which humanity has not accomplished in more than half-a-century.

Later on Saturday, Glover was due to perform a manual piloting demonstration to provide Nasa with more data regarding the spacecraft’s performance in deep space.

After that, the crew was planning to go over their checklist for documenting their experience travelling around the Moon.

The astronauts have had geology training in order to be able to photograph and describe lunar features, including ancient lava flows and impact craters.

They’ll see the Moon from a unique vantage point compared with the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 70s.

Apollo flights flew some 70 miles above the lunar surface, but the Artemis 2 crew will be just over 4,000 miles at their closest approach, which will allow them to see the complete, circular surface of the Moon, including regions near both poles.

Never before seen

But the Artemis 2 astronauts have already seen brand-new perspectives.

“Last night, we did have our first view of the moon far side, and it was just absolutely spectacular,” Koch, the mission specialist, said during a live interview from space.

John Honeycutt, manager of Nasa’s SLS (Space Launch System) program, shared at a briefing Saturday a new image transmitted by the astronauts.

“On the far left, you can see features of the Moon that have never been seen by human eyes until yesterday,” Honeycutt said, explaining that only robotic imagers had previously “seen” that region.

The Artemis 2 crew has been busy taking photographs including with smartphones, devices Nasa recently approved to take aboard spaceflights.

The space agency had previously released images from Orion that included a full portrait of Earth, featuring its deep blue oceans and billowing clouds.

But the space toilet has remained a chronic problem, and the astronauts have on occasion been directed to use their back-up urinal bags.

An attempted wastewater dump to funnel urine into space failed, Nasa said, likely due to a blockage because of ice. Troubleshooting of the problem is ongoing.

The Artemis 2 mission is part of a longer-term plan to repeatedly return to the Moon, with the goal of establishing a permanent lunar base that will offer a platform for further exploration.

It’s a highly anticipated journey that demands exacting precision — but there’s still room for the astronauts to live out their childhood dreams of spaceflight.

“It just makes me feel like a little kid,” said Hansen recently, describing the joy of floating.





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King Charles orders new safety measures after shocking incident

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King Charles orders new safety measures after shocking incident


The royal family’s famouse show faces serious calls to conduct a review of its safety protocols after a heartbreaking loss.

The British monarch, 77, has reportedly taken an action to ensure safety meassure after a young soldier’s detah during a King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery performance earlier this month.

Lance Bombardier Ciara Sullivan, 24, lost his life after falling from her horse on May 15. 

Heartbroken Britons urged officials to take notice of their concerns. They questioned whether traditional ceremonial practices, including the use of historic headwear rather than modern protective helmets, should continue in public displays.

She had been wearing the regiment’s ceremonial busby hat as part of the King’s Troop full dress uniform.

The insider claimed: “The organisers need to adopt smart strategy to save lives.

“We may face the same situation in the future if the measures are nt taken.”

The First World War-era QF 13-pounder field artillery, constructed from steel and wood with large spoked wheels, is pulled at speed by six horses arranged in three rows.

During performances, riders guide the heavy weaponry through complex arena manoeuvres and sharp turns.

“These carriages were invented centuries ago, before modern safety measures. They are not fit for purpose and nor are the hats. There should be a serious review of horse displays like this,” one source told the Mail.

Another said: “The continued use of traditional headwear that offers only limited protection has to be reviewed in an activity where serious head injuries are an ever-present risk.”

It announced the following morning: “The Royal Windsor Horse Show is continuing as planned, with the omission of The King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery display.”

After the shocking incident, Chief Superintendent Michael Loebenberg said: “We are appealing for anyone with information or material relating to the sad death of a military rider at Royal Windsor Horse Show yesterday to please get in touch.”

“At this stage, we have not found any suspicious circumstances. We are working with the Ministry of Defence, the Defence Accident Investigation Branch and Royal Windsor Horse Show organisers HPower to gather as much information as possible to understand how this happened.”

Buckingham Palace released a statment, saying that the King was “greatly shocked and saddened” by the tragedy.

The monarch also conveyed his condolences privately to her family.





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Meghan Markle makes statement as William scones remark takes unexpected turn

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Meghan Markle makes statement as William scones remark takes unexpected turn


Meghan Markle took a coy approach as she appeared to have doubled down on her stance after a new debate was triggered involving Prince William.

It was believed that the Duchess of Sussex had made a direct attempt to get the future King’s attention with a bold move, knowing fully-well how critical the dynamics are between Prince Harry and William.

The discussion, on the surface, seems to be merely about scones, but experts believes there is something more to it. Eagle-eyed royal watchers noted that only hours after William shared his preferred method to eat the famous British tea-time snack, Meghan’s As Ever had shared a post about scones.

As the debate made headlines over the weekend, Meghan seemed to have reacted to the whole thing with a statement, somewhat confirming suspicions.

“Inspired by the jams Meghan has created in her own kitchen and shared over the years, each spread reflects a small-batch, carefully balanced approach to flavour,” a message read on As Ever alongside a video of the founder.

“Bright and fruit-forward with just a hint of tartness and a whisper of lemon, these spreads are crafted to highlight each fruit’s natural essence without overpowering it.”

In the brief video clip, Meghan shared her family’s preferred jams – Harry likes raspberry, Lilibet likes strawberry and Archie likes both.

The relations between the Sussexes and the Waleses are still at an impasse even though King Charles has begun warming up to his younger son.

Meghan’s move has earned mixed reactions, where some believe this is her usual tactic to steal the spotlight from the royals, other suggest this could be an icebreaker to get a conversation moving between them.





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Zayn Malik thanks fans after ‘epic’ Konnakol Tour opening night

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Zayn Malik thanks fans after ‘epic’ Konnakol Tour opening night


Zayn Malik thanks fans after ‘epic’ Konnakol Tour opening night

Zayn Malik is overwhelmed with gratitude as fans continue showering him with love and support after The Konnakol Tour launch.

Shortly after wrapping up the opening night of his first-ever headlining arena and stadium tour since his One Direction days, the former boy band star took to social media to thank his supporters.

On Sunday, May 24, the Dusk Till Dawn hitmaker shared a series of photos and a video, featuring some behind-the-scenes glimpse, highlights from the first show and a peek into the prep.

“Night 1 LONDON 02!!! Big thanks to everyone that came out and turned up!” he captioned the carousel. “That was epic ! [red heart emoji].”

The Pillowtalk chart-topper kicked off the 31-date global trek, supporting his fifth studio album of the same name, on Saturday, May 23, at the O2 Arena in London.

Standup comedian Usama Siddiquee was selected alongside DJ Lonyo to provide the opening entertainment to get the arena crowd energised before the 33-year-old singer took the stage.

Taking to his Instagram Stories, Zayn gave a shout out to the fast-rising Bengali-American comedian, writer, and actor.

“@usamastandsup you’re a legend bro,” he wrote over an image of himself watching Usman dominating the stage. “Thank you!”

Zayn Malik thanks fans after epic Konnakol Tour opening night

In the following update the Die For Me singer reposted the America’s Got Talent semifinalist’s story.

The text over the duo’s picture read, “Thanks for having me bro.”

Zayn officially announced the Don’t Tell Comedy star as the comedy opener for the major UK arena dates, including the opening night at London’s O2 Arena on followed by the Manchester AO Arena on May 24. 





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