The Knowledge

Artemis II Astronauts Return to Earth After Record-Setting Moon Mission

Published

4 months ago

April 11, 2026

Rod Washington

Last Updated on April 11, 2026 by Daily News Staff

April 10, 2026 — NASA’s Artemis II crew has safely returned to Earth, marking the successful completion of the first crewed mission to the Moon’s vicinity in more than 50 years.

NASA’s Artemis II astronauts return to Earth after a historic Moon mission, setting a record for the farthest distance traveled by humans in space. — NASA’s Orion spacecraft, with Artemis II crewmembers NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, was seen as it splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California, at 5:07 p.m. PDT on Friday, April 10, 2026.
Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky

The Orion spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California at 5:07 p.m. PDT, carrying NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen back home after a nearly 10-day journey through deep space.

🚀 A Mission for the Record Books

During the mission, the crew traveled a total of 694,481 miles, reaching a maximum distance of 252,756 miles from Earth—farther than any humans have ever gone, surpassing the Apollo 13 record set in 1970.

Launched on April 1 aboard NASA’s powerful Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, Artemis II tested critical systems needed for future missions, including life support, navigation, and deep space communication.

🌕 Science, Exploration, and Stunning Views

While orbiting the Moon, the astronauts captured more than 7,000 images, including views of the lunar far side, a rare solar eclipse, and detailed observations of craters, lava flows, and surface features.

The mission also included scientific experiments to better understand how the human body responds to deep space conditions, helping prepare for longer missions to the Moon and Mars.

🛰️ Safe Return and Recovery

Following splashdown, recovery teams quickly reached the spacecraft and transported the crew by helicopter to the USS John P. Murtha for initial medical evaluations. The astronauts are expected to return to NASA’s Johnson Space Center for further assessments.

🌍 What Comes Next

With Artemis II complete, NASA is now turning its focus to Artemis III, the next mission aimed at landing astronauts on the Moon and establishing a long-term human presence.

The success of Artemis II marks a major step forward in humanity’s return to deep space—and the beginning of a new era of exploration.

For more information on NASA’s Artemis program, visit the official NASA website.

Get More From A Face Cleanser And Spa-like Massage

🔗 Source & Further Reading

Dive into “The Knowledge,” where curiosity meets clarity. This playlist, in collaboration with STMDailyNews.com, is designed for viewers who value historical accuracy and insightful learning. Our short videos, ranging from 30 seconds to a minute and a half, make complex subjects easy to grasp in no time. Covering everything from historical events to contemporary processes and entertainment, “The Knowledge” bridges the past with the present. In a world where information is abundant yet often misused, our series aims to guide you through the noise, preserving vital knowledge and truths that shape our lives today. Perfect for curious minds eager to discover the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of everything around us. Subscribe and join in as we explore the facts that matter. https://stmdailynews.com/the-knowledge/

Up Next

Jupiter’s moons hide giant subsurface oceans − Europa Clipper is one of 2 missions on their way to see if these moons could support life

Don't Miss

Astronaut Victor Glover is the latest in a long line of Black American explorers − including York, the enslaved man who played a key role in the Lewis and Clark expedition

Nature

What in the Heck Is a Sweat Bee? Turns Out, My Wife Wasn’t Making It Up

My wife Rebecca said she thought a sweat bee stung her. I thought she was making it up. Turns out, sweat bees are very real—and their strange name actually makes perfect sense.

Published

4 days ago

August 10, 2026

Rod Washington

Firefly Gemini Flash A humorous yet photorealistic editorial image of a tiny metallic green sweat bee perc 453196 1 — Sweat Bee on my wife’s arm. Image Credit: Adobe Firefly

It started with a conversation with my wife, Rebecca.

She mentioned that she thought she’d been stung by something called a “sweat bee.”

My immediate reaction was basically:

“What in the heck is a sweat bee?”

I’ll admit it. For a moment, I thought she was making the whole thing up. 😂

A sweat bee? Really?

It sounded like one of those names somebody invents when they don’t know what actually stung them.

“It wasn’t a regular bee. It was a… uh… sweat bee!”

So naturally, I asked ChatGPT the same question: What in the heck is a sweat bee?

Well, Rebecca gets this round.

Sweat bees are absolutely real.

And Yes, They’re Interested in Your Sweat

Sweat bees belong primarily to the Halictidae family, a large group of generally small bees found around the world.

Some are rather ordinary-looking little insects, while others are surprisingly flashy, sporting metallic shades of green, blue, bronze or gold.

But here’s where they earned that wonderfully unfortunate name.

Some sweat bees are attracted to human perspiration.

They’re not after you because they’re angry, and they’re certainly not tiny vampire bees. They’re interested in the salt and minerals in your sweat.

In other words, after you’ve been outside working, gardening, exercising or simply trying to survive a hot summer afternoon, a sweat bee may look at you and think:

“Hey! Free electrolytes!”

Wait…They Can Sting Too?

Unfortunately for Rebecca, there’s another part of her story that checks out.

Female sweat bees can sting.

They’re generally not aggressive and aren’t flying around looking for people to attack. But if one gets trapped against your skin, squeezed or swatted, it may defend itself.

Their sting is generally considered relatively mild compared with those of many other bees and wasps—but “relatively mild” probably isn’t much consolation when you’re the person who just got stung.

So, Rebecca, I officially withdraw my skepticism.

Mostly.

Don’t Declare War on Them

As annoying as having a tiny bee land on your sweaty arm might be, sweat bees are actually beneficial insects.

They’re important pollinators, visiting wildflowers, garden plants and agricultural crops and carrying pollen from flower to flower.

So if one lands on you, gently brushing or blowing it away is probably a better idea than swatting it against your skin.

And that’s today’s unexpected nature lesson.

Sweat bees are real.

They really are attracted to sweat.

The females really can sting.

And, perhaps most importantly…

My wife was right.

There. I said it.

I’m sure I’ll never hear the end of this one. 😂

Forgotten Genius Friday: Marian Croak — The Inventor Behind the Way We Communicate

Marian Croak helped pioneer the technology behind internet calling and text-to-donate fundraising. With more than 200 U.S. patents, her innovations have transformed how millions of people communicate, work, and give.

Published

1 week ago

August 7, 2026

Rod Washington

Last Updated on August 7, 2026 by Daily News Staff

Marian Croak, telecommunications pioneer who helped advance Voice over Internet Protocol technology — Marian Croak helped pioneer technologies that transformed voice communication over the internet. Image Credit: Envato

Every day, billions of people make video calls, join virtual meetings, send text-message donations during disasters, and stay connected with loved ones over the internet.

Few realize that one of the pioneers behind these technologies is Marian Croak, an engineer, inventor, and technology leader whose work has fundamentally changed how the world communicates.

Despite holding more than 200 U.S. patents and helping shape modern internet communications, Croak remains largely unknown outside the technology community. That’s exactly why she deserves a place in our Forgotten Genius Fridayseries.

From Engineering to Innovation

Marian Rogers Croak earned a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University before completing a Ph.D. in Social Psychology and Quantitative Analysis at the University of Southern California.

Her unique combination of engineering expertise and an understanding of human behavior would become one of her greatest strengths. Rather than simply building technology, she focused on solving real-world communication problems.

She joined Bell Labs, later becoming part of AT&T, where she spent decades developing new telecommunications technologies.

Helping Create the Internet Calling Revolution

For much of the twentieth century, telephone calls relied on dedicated telephone lines.

Croak helped pioneer technologies that made Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) practical, allowing voice conversations to travel over internet networks instead.

Today, VoIP powers countless services, including:

Zoom
Microsoft Teams
WhatsApp calling
FaceTime
Internet-based business phone systems
Telemedicine appointments

Millions of remote workers, students, families, and businesses depend on technologies that evolved from these innovations.

A Better Way to Help During Disasters

One of Croak’s most visible inventions came from a simple but powerful idea.

What if people could donate to disaster relief simply by sending a text message?

She led the development of systems that made text-to-donate campaigns possible.

Following disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and the devastating 2010 Haiti earthquake, millions of people contributed to relief efforts simply by sending a short text message. The technology helped raise tens of millions of dollars quickly, demonstrating how communication technology could save lives beyond making phone calls.

More Than 200 Patents

Croak has been awarded more than 200 U.S. patents covering internet communications, networking, emergency response systems, and digital collaboration.

Her inventions have influenced everything from enterprise communications to cloud networking and mobile technologies.

Leading Responsible Artificial Intelligence

In 2014, Croak joined Google as a Vice President of Engineering.

Today, she helps lead initiatives focused on Responsible AI and Human-Centered Technology, working to ensure artificial intelligence benefits society while addressing issues of fairness, accessibility, and trust.

Her career reflects an important lesson: innovation is not just about building powerful technology—it is also about building technology responsibly.

Honors and Recognition

Although Marian Croak spent decades working behind the scenes, her achievements have earned growing recognition.

Among her honors are:

National Inventors Hall of Fame inductee
National Academy of Engineering member
American Academy of Arts and Sciences fellow
IEEE Founders Medal recipient

These awards recognize a lifetime devoted to improving how people connect with one another.

Why Marian Croak Matters

Many inventors create products.

Marian Croak created possibilities.

Every internet phone call between grandparents and grandchildren, every virtual doctor’s appointment, every online business meeting, and every text-message donation during a humanitarian crisis reflects technologies she helped make possible.

Her story reminds us that some of history’s greatest innovators work quietly behind the scenes, changing the world without becoming household names.

That’s exactly the kind of legacy Forgotten Genius Friday exists to celebrate.