Triumph and turmoil

Space Snapshot

The Artemis II mission to send a four-person crew around the Moon concluded last week when the Orion capsule splashed down off the coast of San Diego. The mission was a resounding success, not only in its technical and scientific goals but also by capturing the imaginations of people around the world. Relive the excitement with our favorite images from throughout the mission. Image credit: NASA.

Fact Worth Sharing

The Artemis II crew brought their skills and expertise to the mission, but also their hearts. When given the opportunity to name a lunar crater, the crew chose "Carroll" in honor of the late wife of Artemis II mission commander Reid Wiseman, Carroll Taylor Wiseman, who passed away in 2020.

Space Advocate Update

The Planetary Society’s Day of Action is coming up soon, and you can get involved. Our annual advocacy event takes place on Monday, April 20, in Washington, D.C. People from across the United States will meet with their representatives in Congress to urge them to reject the proposed 47% cuts to NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.

You can help too. If you live in the United States, you can write to your representatives with the same messages being shared at the Day of Action: Save NASA Science and ensure the future of U.S. space exploration. You can also make a donation to support our space policy and advocacy program, to help us continue fighting for NASA Science. We successfully advocated against budget cuts last year, and with your support, we can do it again.

Mission Briefings

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has found its biggest crater yet. The NASA mission, which has been orbiting the Moon since 2009, recently detected a new crater (pictured) 225 meters (738 feet) in diameter, thought to have formed in late spring 2024. Lunar impacts this size only happen every 139 years on average. Prior to this, the largest newly-formed crater detected by LRO was only 70 meters (230 feet) across. Image credit: Robinson et al.

New research explores why Jupiter has more large moons than Saturn. Although Saturn has more moons in total, only one of them (Titan) is considered large. Jupiter’s four large moons may be the result of its strong magnetic field, according to a new study that modeled simulations of the gas giants early in their formation.

From The Planetary Society

84 NASA missions are at risk under the White House’s budget proposal. If enacted, the Office of Management and Budget’s proposal for 2027 would result in the cancellation of dozens of NASA missions, including many that are already paid for, launched, and making discoveries. Learn about the missions at risk and what you can do to save them. You can also learn more in an op-ed in SpaceNews by Planetary Society Chief of Space Policy Casey Dreier that breaks down what needs to be done to bring NASA Science back to the forefront of the agency. Pictured: An artist’s impression of the Juno spacecraft at Jupiter, where it continues to make discoveries. Image credit: Mathias Verhasselt.

This week on Planetary Radio: Triumph and turmoil. Just days after the Artemis II mission launched for the Moon, the White House announced its plans to slash NASA’s budget. This week’s Planetary Radio captures the feeling of whiplash this created, reviewing some of the mission's most extraordinary moments and digging into what exactly is at stake with this budget proposal.

What's Up

There’s a lot to look forward to in this week’s night skies. Venus shines super bright in the early evening western sky, joined by the crescent Moon on April 18. Around that same time, Saturn, Mars, Mercury, and Neptune are all near each other in the pre-dawn east, very low to the horizon just before sunrise. Overnight between April 21 and 22, the medium-strength Lyrid meteor shower peaks. On April 22, the Moon will be near very bright Jupiter, which shines high in the west in the early evening all week. And on April 23, in the early evening west, super dim, bluish Uranus will be near super bright Venus as well as the faint stars of the Pleiades star cluster, a great sight if you have binoculars or a telescope. Learn more about all of these exciting night sky things in our April stargazing guide.

Join now and save space missions

If you are not one already, become a member TODAY and help shape the future of space science and exploration by fueling mission-critical advocacy efforts. The Planetary Society led efforts in Washington to save NASA Science in 2026. Thanks to the support of our members, we were able to prevent an extinction-level budget cut to planetary exploration. Now we need to do it again.

Will you join us and protect the future of exploration?

Wow of the Week

The threat of budget cuts is stressful, but it doesn’t diminish the triumph of the Artemis II mission. Here you see astronaut Christina Koch giving a big hug of appreciation to the Orion spacecraft the day after it brought her and her crewmates safely back to Earth. “I needed to say thank you,” said Koch on Instagram. “And goodbye.” Image credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls.

Send us your artwork!

We love to feature space artwork in the Downlink. If you create any kind of space-related art, we invite you to send it to us by replying to any Downlink email or writing to [email protected]. Please let us know in your email if you’re a Planetary Society member!