The Artemis II crew, consisting of NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, traveled 252,756 miles from Earth during the mission, according to NASA. The flight marked the first crewed test of the Orion spacecraft and proved the capability of its critical systems. Data from the mission will help refine operations and evaluate Orion's performance in deep space.
In related developments, the National Space Club & Foundation announced its annual award recipients on March 13, 2026, in Washington, D.C. Orion Program Manager Howard Hu received the Norman L. Baker Astronautics Engineer Award, while International Space Station Program Manager Dana Weigel received the Eagle Manned Mission Award.
The business of exploration is more integrated than ever.
NASA and its partners are now shifting focus to Artemis III, which will test integrated operations between Orion and the human landing system in lunar orbit. The International Space Station celebrated 25 years of continuous human habitation on November 2, 2025.
The 63rd annual Goddard Space Science Symposium took place on March 12-13, 2026, at the National Housing Center in Washington, D.C., organized by the American Astronautical Society in conjunction with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. The symposium theme was 'Advancing an Integrated Space Enterprise.' Stephanie Getty, co-chair of the symposium planning committee and NASA Goddard's acting director of sciences and exploration, said the business of exploration is more integrated than ever and that gathering leading minds is vital for cooperative efforts. On March 12, AAS President Ron Birk delivered opening remarks, and NASA Deputy Associate Administrator Casey Swails served as opening speaker. Chris Scolese, director of the National Reconnaissance Office, was the keynote speaker, and Steve Isakowitz, former president and CEO of The Aerospace Corporation, was the luncheon speaker. On March 13, Cynthia Simmons, NASA Goddard acting center director, delivered opening remarks, and Nicola Fox, associate administrator of the NASA Science Mission Directorate, closed the symposium as the luncheon speaker.
Gathering the leading minds together in this setting is vital in our cooperative efforts to chart the course ahead and achieve our ambitious objectives.