mission

KAMPALA, Uganda — Uganda’s military chief, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has set off another round of diplomatic unease, this time by calling for $1 billion in compensation for Uganda’s mission in Somalia while also saying he wants to marry the “most beautiful woman” in Turkey. The commander of Uganda’s armed forces and son of President Yoweri Museveni made the remarks in a series of striking statements that once again highlighted his flair for provocation. Kainerugaba said marrying a Turkish national was a personal requirement,…

After nearly 10 days in space, the Artemis II capsule carrying a four-astronaut crew tore back through Earth's atmosphere and splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean, bringing to a close humanity's first journey to the vicinity of the moon in more than 50 years. NASA's gumdrop-shaped Orion capsule, named Integrity, drifted under parachutes into waters off the Southern California coast shortly after 5pm PT (1am Irish time), ending a mission that carried its crew farther into space than any humans had travelled before. The…

After nearly 10 days in space, the Artemis II capsule carrying four astronauts tore back through Earth's atmosphere and splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean, closing out humanity's first journey into the moon's neighborhood in more than 50 years. NASA's gumdrop-shaped Orion capsule, named Integrity, drifted under parachutes into the ocean off Southern California shortly after 5pm PT (1am Irish time), bringing to an end a mission that carried its crew farther into space than any people had traveled before. Covering…

With Earth drawing closer and a fiery homecoming ahead, the four astronauts aboard NASA’s Artemis II mission reflected on a voyage unlike any before it, describing the strain, wonder and emotion of preparing to plunge back through the atmosphere during their first press conference from space. The Artemis II crew have been travelling in their Orion capsule since lifting off from Florida last week, and are scheduled to splash down off the southern California coast tomorrow after reaching the Moon earlier this week. Their route…

Mucahithan AvciogluFriday April 10, 2026 A Turkish deep-sea drilling vessel has reached Somalia, setting in motion what Ankara is calling a “historic mission” and marking Türkiye’s first overseas deep-sea drilling operation, the energy and natural resources minister announced Thursday. “The Cagri Bey (ship) has arrived in Somalia for its historic mission,” Alparslan Bayraktar said on the Turkish social media platform NSosyal, saying the effort would usher in “a brand-new chapter in the energy history of both Türkiye and…

A high-stakes American rescue mission deep inside Iran has recovered an airman from behind enemy lines after Tehran shot down a fighter jet, officials said today, easing an immediate political and military test for US President Donald Trump as he considers widening a war now in its sixth week. The rescued airman, whom Mr Trump identified as a colonel, was the weapons-systems officer aboard the downed F-15, a US official said. "Over the past several hours, the United States military pulled off one of the most daring search…

A new chapter in humanity’s return to deep space began in Florida, where four astronauts launched on NASA’s Artemis II mission for a high-stakes, nearly ten-day journey around the Moon. The flight represents the United ⁠States’ clearest move yet toward putting humans back on the lunar surface this decade, with NASA aiming to get there before China mounts its first crewed landing. Just before sunset local time at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket thundered off the pad with the Orion…

More than 50 years after astronauts last flew to the Moon, NASA’s Artemis II mission is poised to send a crew on a lunar flyby, opening a new era in human spaceflight. The mission is due to lift off from Florida tonight. The launch window is set to open at 6.24pm (11.24pm Irish time). Here is what to know about the closely watched flight that is expected to begin a fresh chapter in space exploration. The goal The programme is designed to put Americans back on the Moon, build a lasting presence there and lay the groundwork…

NASA is preparing to send four astronauts around the moon as soon as this evening, a 10-day mission that would rank as the boldest US human spaceflight effort in decades and a pivotal move in the race to return astronauts to the lunar surface before China mounts its first crewed landing. Mission managers on Monday gave a "go" for launch of Artemis II, clearing NASA's 98m (322-foot) Space Launch System rocket and its Orion crew capsule for liftoff as early as 6.24 p.m. (11.30pm Irish time) on Wednesday. The rocket is due to…

Four astronauts chosen for NASA’s Artemis II mission are preparing to cross the next threshold in the push to return humans to the Moon: arrival in Florida and the final sprint of pre-launch work for the first crewed journey to deep space in more than five decades. Commander Reid Wiseman, Mission Pilot Victor Glover and Christina Koch will launch alongside Canadian astronaut Colonel Jeremy Hansen from Kennedy Space Center as soon as 1 April, riding atop NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. They will travel inside an…