Apollo 11

The U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville announced that retired NASA Apollo engineer Craig Sumner has died. The veteran of the Apollo moon landings, the now retired space shuttle program, and the first two launches of the new Alabama built “Space Launch System” rockets for Artemis, was recovering from surgery this week when he died, the Center said. Sumner was central to Alabama Public Radio's coverage of Artemis-2.

When NASA planned to send four astronauts to the moon for the first time since 1972, the rocket was built here in Alabama. Artemis-2 took the first people to Earth's nearest neighbor since 1972. It trip was a highlight for the U.S. Space Agency. Alabama played a role in one of its low points, the loss of space shuttle Challenger in 1986. The Artemis crew photographed a spot on the moon called the "Ocean of Storms." An astronaut from Mobile, Alabama was supposed to land there during Apollo 12 in 1969. It didn't happen.

The dust is settling on the fly-by of the Moon of Artemis-2, and NASA is planning to take a big step this week toward the launch of the next missions, called Artemis-3. These new Moon flights begin with blastoff aboard an Alabama built rocket called the “Space Launch System.”

The four astronauts of NASA‘s Artemis-2 mission are getting used to life on Earth again. The crew splashed down in the Pacific after their flyby of the Moon. The astronauts took photos of the lunar surface, including one spot called the Ocean of Storms. One astronaut from Mobile was supposed to get a lot closer than that. Clifton Williams was meant to land there during Apollo 12 in 1969.

Now that the first lunar travelers in more than a half-century are safely back in Houston with their families, NASA has Artemis III in its sights. One question for this plan appears to be, where’s Apollo 10?

The astronauts of Artemis-2 are getting used to normal gravity after spending nine days in weightlessness. The yet-to-be name crew of Artemis-3 may spend part of their time in orbit facing the same risks as Apollo astronauts Jim McDivitt and Rusty Schweikart in 1969. Those astronauts tested the bug-like lunar lander that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin would use during the first ever landing on the Moon.

Artemis II’s astronauts returned from the moon with a dramatic splashdown in the Pacific on Friday to close out humanity’s first lunar voyage in more than a half-century. One of the four space shuttle engines used during the upcoming launch of Artemis-3 next year comes from the final launch of the shuttle in 2011.

Drawing ever closer to Earth, the Artemis II astronauts tidied up their lunar cruiser for the upcoming “fireball” return and reflected on their historic journey around the moon, describing it as surreal and profound. This is the end of their journey, which began aboard NASA's new "Space Launch System" rocket which was designed, built, tested, and managed at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville.

NASA is counting down the hours before the first trip around the moon by astronauts since 1972. The mission of Artemis two begins with a ride to space aboard a rocket made here in Alabama. Some of the engineers who made the Apollo lunar missions possible are still in the Huntsville area and NASA knows it.

The U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville will be hosting a large watch party tomorrow, as thousands are expected to gather to view the launch of the Artemis II mission around the moon.The trip is designed to begin with the blastoff of the Alabama built “Space Launch System” rocket, based on technology from the retired Space Shuttle program.