Watch: Artemis II’s historic lunar flyby… in 90 seconds
Watch: Artemis II’s historic lunar flyby… in 90 seconds
NASA’s Artemis II mission has achieved a milestone by sending its crew farther from Earth than any humans have ever traveled. During a tense lunar flyby, the Orion spacecraft’s team briefly lost communication with mission control for 40 minutes as they maneuvered behind the Moon. Reconnecting, astronaut Christina Koch remarked,
“It’s so great to hear from Earth again.”
The crew also observed a total solar eclipse, as the Moon obscured the Sun’s light before turning back toward their return journey. President Trump praised the mission in a call, stating,
“Today, you’ve made history and made all America really proud, incredibly proud.”
Meanwhile, the “Great Marshmallow Drop” event saw over 15,000 fluffy treats released from a helicopter, with children scrambling to collect them. The former prosecutor, who had defended Trump in a hush-money case, maintains a close relationship with the president. At the Supreme Court hearing, the BBC’s Ione Wells interviewed protesters and attendees discussing Trump’s executive order. Meanwhile, US fuel prices hit $4 at the pump for the first time since 2022, driven by ongoing tensions with Iran. Gary O’Donoghue of the BBC spoke with a farmer in Alabama who, despite financial strain, supports Trump’s leadership.
A public art installation named “A throne fit for a king” was displayed at the National Mall, critiquing Trump’s White House renovations. Large demonstrations against his administration occurred across the country, marking the third “No Kings” rally. The New York City airport faced severe delays due to TSA staff working without pay during a government shutdown. Conservatives at the CPAC conference in Texas expressed mixed views on the current economic climate. These reactions followed a Los Angeles verdict finding Meta and Google designed addictive platforms that harm youth mental health.
Savannah Guthrie, in her first post-disappearance interview, shared the moment she discovered her mother was missing and considered the possibility of her fame being a target. Wreckage from an incident blocked access to one of the two runways at the busy airport. Melania Trump’s yellow Labrador, Tessie, was unharmed after a fall and is back in her yard. BBC Verify analyzed the moments leading to a deadly collision at the New York airport. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were deployed to aid TSA during the shutdown. Valero, a refinery operator, confirmed no injuries were reported in the incident. A video captured the aftermath of a passenger plane colliding with a firefighting vehicle on the airport’s runway.
