April 2026

Artemis
Artemis 2
Earth
NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman took this picture of Earth from the Orion spacecraft’s window after completing the translunar injection burn. There are two auroras (top right and bottom left) and zodiacal light (bottom right) is visible as the Earth eclipses the Sun. This and another photo of Earth are the first […]
Posted April 3, 2026
Earth Observatory
Goddard Space Flight Center
Sea Ice
Terra
Patches of open water in the region contributed to low sea ice extent across the Arctic in March 2026, which tied with the lowest maximum observed in the satellite record.
Posted April 3, 2026
Artemis 2
Artemis
Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate
Humans in Space
Missions
Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle
For the first time in more than 50 years, astronauts on a NASA mission are bound to fly around the Moon after successfully completing a key burn of Orion’s main engine. With the approximately six-minute firing of the spacecraft’s service module engine on Thursday, known as the translunar injection burn, Orion and its crew of […]
Posted April 3, 2026
Artemis
Artemis 2
Kennedy Space Center
NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft lift off in this April 1, 2026, image. NASA’s Artemis II mission will take NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy on an approximately 10-day journey around the Moon and back aboard their Orion spacecraft.
Posted April 2, 2026
Earth
Earth Observatory
Landsat 9
Natural Disasters
Volcanoes
The February 2026 eruption at Piton de la Fournaise has lasted longer and produced a larger volume of lava than recent eruptions from this frequently active volcano.
Posted April 2, 2026
Artemis
Artemis 2
Humans in Space
Marshall Space Flight Center
Missions
Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle
Space Launch System (SLS)
Spurred by American ingenuity, astronauts on NASA’s Artemis II mission are in flight, preparing for the first crewed lunar flyby in more than 50 years. NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket lifted off from Launch Pad 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 6:35 p.m. EDT Wednesday, sending four astronauts aboard the […]
Posted April 2, 2026
Air Quality
Dust Storms
Earth Observatory
NOAA-21 (JPSS-2)
Terra
Strong winds in March 2026 carried Saharan dust across northwestern Africa and toward the Canary Islands, reducing visibility and prompting alerts.
Posted April 1, 2026
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