Artemis II flies to the Moon

Artemis II flies to the Moon: a running story on the front pages of 8 newsrooms from 20 February 2026 to 18 April 2026, 124 headlines over 58 days.

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As it ran

18 April 2026

• AP Artemis II astronauts praise their moonship's performance, especially the heat shield

17 April 2026

• BBC News Artemis II crew: 'We left as friends - we came back as best friends'
• CNN Five seconds of free fall: Astronauts describe historic moon mission — and nail-biting return to Earth
• AP Artemis II astronauts praise their moonship's performance, especially the heat shield
• BBC News Artemis II crew describes Moon mission and splashdown moment
• Wall Street Journal What the Artemis II Astronauts Said About Their Moon Mission

13 April 2026

• AP NASA already has next Artemis flight in its sights following astronauts' triumphant moon flyby
• CNN What Artemis II crew shared in first remarks after return to Earth
• BBC News From blast off to splashdown: My days following Nasa's historic mission to the Moon

12 April 2026

• BBC News From blast off to splashdown: My days following Nasa's historic mission to the Moon
• South China Morning Post Over the moon: Artemis astronauts make emotional homecoming after record trip
• CNN What the Artemis II crew shared in first remarks after return to Earth
• AP Artemis II's moon-traveling astronauts return home to cheers after a record-breaking trip
• Fox News Artemis crew fight back tears saying moonshot team is 'bonded forever'
• BBC News How the Artemis crew will splash down on Earth

11 April 2026

• BBC News Artemis II mission begins return to Earth as spacecraft re-enters the atmosphere
• Al Jazeera Artemis II astronauts splash down on Earth after lunar mission
• South China Morning Post Artemis II astronauts return home from record-breaking moon mission
• New York Times In Photos and Video: Artemis II’s New Views of the Moon
• AP Artemis II astronauts return from moon with a splashdown to close out a record-breaking lunar voyage
• Al Jazeera NASA prepares for Artemis II splashdown: When it happens and how to watch
• BBC News How the Artemis crew will splash down on Earth
• BBC News Canada's Mark Carney 'so proud' of astronauts in call to Artemis II

10 April 2026

• BBC News BBC tours Orion spacecraft model ahead of Artemis II return
• CNN Artemis II astronauts are heading home. The biggest risks could still lie ahead
• AP Artemis II astronauts describe their lunar voyage as surreal and profound ahead of Earth return
• Wall Street Journal The Orion spacecraft’s heat shield will be tested in an intense re-entry to the Earth’s atmosphere.
• BBC News Canada's Mark Carney 'so proud' of astronauts in call to Artemis II
• BBC News How the US Navy will help recover the Artemis II crew
• BBC News Artemis II's historic lunar flyby... in 90 seconds

9 April 2026

• AP Artemis II astronauts follow Apollo tradition of naming lunar features after loved ones
• BBC News Artemis II's historic lunar flyby... in 90 seconds

8 April 2026

• BBC News Has Artemis II shown we can land on the Moon again?
• Fox News Artemis II crew completes critical burn to steer Orion safely back to Earth
• AP Artemis II astronauts channel Apollo 8 with a striking Earthset photo
• BBC News Artemis II's historic lunar flyby... in 90 seconds
• AP Artemis II astronauts make long-distance call to the space station as they head home from the moon
• BBC News Artemis II mission loses contact with Earth for 40 minutes

7 April 2026

• CNN Artemis II flyby of the moon
• Fox News Artemis II crew emerges from communication blackout and begins journey home
• South China Morning Post Nasa’s Artemis crew headed back to Earth after record-breaking trip around moon
• BBC News The 40 minutes when the Artemis crew loses contact with the Earth
• BBC News Artemis II astronauts have toilet trouble on their way towards the Moon
• AP Artemis II sails through trip around the moon after surpassing Apollo 13’s distance record
• Wall Street Journal The Orion ship transporting the Artemis II crew in their moon flyby surpassed Apollo 13’s distance record, set in 1970.
• BBC News 'Absolutely spectacular': Artemis II crew see first glimpse of far side of Moon

6 April 2026

• BBC News The 40 minutes when the Artemis crew loses contact with the Earth
• CNN New Artemis II moon image includes part of the moon never before observed by human eyes
• AP It's time for Artemis II to break Apollo 13's distance record. What to know about the moon flyby
• BBC News Artemis II astronauts have toilet trouble on their way towards the Moon
• BBC News 'Absolutely spectacular': Artemis II crew see first glimpse of far side of Moon
• Fox News Space toilet breakdown leaves Artemis II crew 'camping tougher' on moon mission

5 April 2026

• BBC News 'Something we have never seen before': Artemis II crew describe far side of Moon
• CNN More than halfway to the moon, the Artemis II astronauts are grappling with a toilet problem
• AP Artemis II toilet acts up again as astronauts speed toward the moon to break Apollo 13's record
• New York Times Artemis II Astronauts Are Closer to Moon Than Earth on Day 4
• Al Jazeera NASA releases stunning first photos of Earth from Artemis II moon mission
• BBC News Artemis II crew now halfway to Moon as they take 'spectacular' image of Earth

4 April 2026

• Al Jazeera NASA releases stunning first photos of Earth from Artemis II moon mission
• Fox News Artemis II crew halfway to moon; NASA reveals stunning Earth photos from deep space
• BBC News Artemis II crew take 'spectacular' image of Earth
• New York Times Artemis II Pilot Went for a Test Drive on the Way to the Moon
• AP Artemis II's moonbound astronauts capture Earth's brilliant blue beauty as they leave it behind
• BBC News Why isn't Artemis II landing on the Moon?

3 April 2026

• BBC News Artemis II blasts ever closer to the far side of the Moon
• South China Morning Post Update | Nasa’s Artemis astronauts zoom towards moon after fixing toilet malfunction
• CNN Artemis II begins its journey to the moon
• AP Artemis II's moonbound toilet is working again to astronauts' relief after overnight fix
• BBC News Why isn't Artemis II landing on the Moon?
• BBC News First live view of Artemis II crew since arriving in space
• Wall Street Journal The Toilet’s Working Again: Artemis Astronauts’ First Day in Space
• Fox News Artemis II crew commits to moon journey as engine burn sends Orion beyond Earth

2 April 2026

• BBC News 'Great view': Nasa spacecraft orbiting Earth after spectacular launch on Moon mission
• Fox News America blasts back to the moon as Artemis crew makes historic return
• Al Jazeera NASA successfully launches historic Artemis II moon mission
• BBC News How the astronauts will go to the toilet
• BBC News The personal items the crew are taking to the Moon
• CNN The Artemis II crew's journey in space has begun. Now what?
• South China Morning Post Historic Artemis II moon mission lifts off, amid US lunar race with China
• AP Artemis II astronauts bound for moon after rocketing away on NASA's first lunar voyage in decades
• Wall Street Journal The Artemis II mission seeks to accomplish a lunar return with an astronaut flyby.
• BBC News 'Spectacular!' - BBC journalist's emotional reaction to Artemis II launch
• BBC News How will the Artemis astronauts go to the toilet in space?
• BBC News Suited up and ready to go: Watch the Artemis crew's journey to launch

1 April 2026

• BBC News The personal items the Artemis II crew are taking to the Moon
• AP NASA begins the countdown for humanity's first launch to the moon in 53 years
• CNN Planning to follow NASA’s moon mission launch? Here’s what to watch for
• AP NASA is shooting for the moon. A guide to the Artemis II mission
• AP Moon rocket and weather are on NASA's side for the first astronaut launch in decades
• BBC News When is Nasa's Moon mission launch and what will Artemis do?
• BBC News Trump sees 'America First' opportunity in Nasa mission to Moon
• BBC News How will the Artemis astronauts go to the toilet in space?

31 March 2026

• BBC News Behind the scenes: Astronaut training for Nasa’s moon mission
• AP Apollo's impatient old-timers are rooting for NASA's return to the moon with Artemis II launch
• AP NASA begins the countdown for humanity's first launch to the moon in 53 years
• South China Morning Post Nasa begins countdown for humanity’s first launch to the moon in 53 years
• BBC News Inside Nasa's moon spacesuit lab ahead of Artemis launch
• New York Times What to Know About NASA’s Mission Around the Moon and Back

30 March 2026

• AP Apollo vs. Artemis: What to know about NASA's return to the moon
• Wall Street Journal What Is Artemis II? The NASA Mission to Fly Astronauts Around the Moon

29 March 2026

• AP Meet the Artemis crew in NASA's first astronaut mission to the moon in more than a half-century

28 March 2026

• CNN What to know about the 4 people launching to make history around the moon
• AP Artemis II astronauts arrive at Florida launch site for first moon trip in 53 years

25 March 2026

• CNN NASA halts work on lunar Gateway and unveils new plans for the moon and Mars

21 March 2026

• AP NASA hauls its repaired moon rocket from the hangar back to the pad for an early April launch
• BBC News Nasa's Artemis Moon rocket rolls back to pad for possible April launch

13 March 2026

• BBC News Artemis II: Nasa targets early April for Moon mission
• AP NASA clears its Artemis moon rocket for an April launch with four astronauts following repairs

6 March 2026

• AP No chance asteroid will slam into the moon in 2032, NASA says

1 March 2026

• CNN NASA abruptly changes roadmap to putting boots back on moon

28 February 2026

• CNN NASA moon landing mission
• BBC News Nasa announces change to its Moon landing plans
• South China Morning Post Nasa overhauls Artemis mission amid setbacks in moon race with China
• CNN NASA abruptly changes its roadmap to putting boots back on the moon
• AP NASA revamps Artemis moon landing program by modeling it after speedy Apollo

26 February 2026

• CNN A new problem throws four astronauts’ impending moon journey into uncertainty

23 February 2026

• AP NASA will return its moon rocket to the hangar for more repairs before astronauts strap in

22 February 2026

• South China Morning Post Nasa moon rocket hit by new problem, pushing launch with astronauts into April
• CNN The fuel set to propel NASA’s moon crew is notorious for leaking. So why use it?
• AP NASA delays astronaut moon mission again after new rocket problem
• BBC News Nasa astronauts' moon mission delayed due to rocket issue
• New York Times Problem With Artemis Rocket Will Delay NASA’s Moon Mission

21 February 2026

• AP NASA targets March for first moon mission by Artemis astronauts after fueling test success

20 February 2026

• AP NASA conducts second rocket fueling test that will decide when Artemis astronauts head to the moon