Space and Tech
WashU Expert: Artemis launch brings us closer to space exploration goals
Last Updated on June 30, 2024 by Daily News Staff
On Monday, Aug. 29, NASA plans to launch its Orion spacecraft from the world’s most powerful rocket for a trip around the moon. This launch of the uncrewed Artemis 1 mission is a step toward the goal of landing people on the moon in 2025.
Bradley L. Jolliff, the Scott Rudolph Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis
« WashU Expert: Artemis launch brings us closer to space exploration goals
“With a successful launch of Artemis 1, NASA and the U.S. will reclaim the capability to launch humans to the moon,” said Bradley L. Jolliff, the Scott Rudolph Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis and director of the McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences.
“We lost that capability nearly 50 years ago when the last of the Saturn V rockets were retired after the Apollo 17 mission. Artemis 1 will pave the way for the next generation of astronauts to once again explore a world other than our own.”
Artemis represents the next great leap in human exploration of space, beginning with a sustainable return to the moon, Jolliff said.
“In this case, ‘sustainable’ means that the Artemis missions will not be Apollo-like sorties,” he said. “Instead of those short trips to explore a specific location and then return home to Earth, the idea is to learn how to live and work in deep space, beyond low-Earth orbit where the International Space Station has been for many years.”
Learning to live and work on the moon is a significant challenge because astronauts will have to deal with deep-space radiation, including variable radiation from the sun, lunar dust, extreme temperatures and other issues, he explained.
“Astronauts — and the host of engineers and scientists supporting them — will be exploring and learning how to use resources on the moon, such as producing oxygen and water from lunar soil or buried ice at the poles, specifically the south pole of the moon where buried ice is known to be present,” Jolliff said.
“Many nations, not only the United States, are interested in establishing a long-term presence on the moon,” he said. “This presence will be the stepping-off point for further human exploration to other destinations, especially Mars. It will be possible to use hydrogen and oxygen mined and refined on the moon as fuels and life-support resources for travel to these other destinations.”
The moon also remains a valuable place for further scientific exploration and that will be part of the Artemis objectives.
“As Earth’s companion in space, the moon records much about Earth’s early history to help us better understand our past, including events that took place in the early solar system,” Jolliff said.
He recently co-authored a perspective piece in Physics Today about the scientific legacy of the Apollo program, noting that, “Apollo surface samples gave us our first look at alteration by exposure to galactic cosmic rays, energetic solar particles and meteorites, ranging from microscopic to asteroidal.”
As a member of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera science team, Jolliff investigates the moon’s surface, relating what can be seen from orbit to what is known about the moon through the study of lunar meteorites and Apollo samples.
Jolliff also leads the Washington University team that is part of NASA’s Apollo Next Generation Sample Analysis program. He is a co-investigator on the university’s Interdisciplinary Consortium for Evaluating Volatile Origins (ICE Five-O) team, a NASA Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute.
“Some 50 years after Apollo, it is about time that we continue our exploration of the moon, and that the U.S. be the leaders of what will undoubtedly be an international effort,” Jolliff said.
To read about Washington University’s deep history studying space, visit this In-Depth piece.
Source: Washington University in St. Louis
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Last Updated on April 2, 2026 by Daily News Staff
🕒 [UPDATE] Orion Performs Translunar Injection Burn
The spacecraft has completed its critical engine burn, sending Artemis II on a trajectory toward the Moon. This marks the official start of its deep space journey.
Artemis II Successfully Launches
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA has successfully launched its Artemis II mission, marking the first crewed journey toward the Moon in more than 50 years.
The powerful Space Launch System (SLS) rocket lifted off from Kennedy Space Center on April 1, carrying four astronauts on a 10-day mission around the Moon and back.
On board are Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen. The mission is already being hailed as a major milestone in NASA’s effort to return humans to deep space.
Shortly after liftoff, the Orion spacecraft successfully reached orbit and deployed its solar arrays, beginning its journey that will eventually send the crew on a translunar trajectory toward the Moon. 
Artemis II is a lunar flyby mission, meaning astronauts will not land but will travel farther from Earth than any human mission in decades while testing critical systems needed for future landings.
The mission also marks several historic firsts, including the first woman and the first person of color—Victor Glover—to travel into lunar space.
NASA says the mission is a key step toward future lunar landings and long-term plans to establish a human presence on the Moon later this decade.
🛰️ Artemis II Mission Timeline
The 10-day Artemis II mission follows a carefully planned trajectory from Earth to the Moon and back:
- Day 1: Launch and Earth orbit
- Day 1–2: Translunar injection burn
- Days 2–4: Deep space travel
- Days 4–5: Lunar flyby
- Days 5–8: Return to Earth
- Days 9–10: Reentry and splashdown
For official updates and in-depth mission details, visit the following trusted sources:
- NASA: Artemis II Mission Overview
- NASA Artemis Program (Return to the Moon)
- Orion Spacecraft – Mission Details
- Space Launch System (SLS) Rocket Overview
- Kennedy Space Center – Launch Operations
- Watch NASA Live Coverage and Replays
🧾 Sources
- NASA official launch coverage and mission updates
- NASA Artemis II press materials and briefings
- NASA Kennedy Space Center launch operations updates
Stay with STM Daily News for live updates on Artemis II.
Last Updated on February 10, 2026 by Daily News Staff
Valerie Thomas is a true pioneer in the world of science and technology. A NASA engineer and physicist, she is best known for inventing the illusion transmitter, a groundbreaking device that creates 3D images using concave mirrors. This invention laid the foundation for modern 3D imaging and virtual reality technologies.
Beyond her inventions, Thomas broke barriers as an African American woman in STEM, mentoring countless young scientists and advocating for diversity in science and engineering. Her work at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center helped advance satellite technology and data visualization, making her contributions both innovative and enduring.
In our latest short video, we highlight Valerie Thomas’ remarkable journey—from her early passion for science to her groundbreaking work at NASA. Watch and be inspired by a true STEM pioneer whose legacy continues to shape the future of space and technology.
🎥 Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/P5XTgpcAoHw
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Every Friday, STM Daily News shines a light on brilliant minds history overlooked.
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Beneath the Waves: The Global Push to Build Undersea Railways
Undersea railways are transforming transportation, turning oceans from barriers into gateways. Proven by tunnels like the Channel and Seikan, these innovations offer cleaner, reliable connections for passengers and freight. Ongoing projects in China and Europe, alongside future proposals, signal a new era of global mobility beneath the waves.
For most of modern history, oceans have acted as natural barriers—dividing nations, slowing trade, and shaping how cities grow. But beneath the waves, a quiet transportation revolution is underway. Infrastructure once limited by geography is now being reimagined through undersea railways.
Undersea rail tunnels—like the Channel Tunnel and Japan’s Seikan Tunnel—proved decades ago that trains could reliably travel beneath the ocean floor. Today, new projects are expanding that vision even further.
Around the world, engineers and governments are investing in undersea railways—tunnels that allow high-speed trains to travel beneath oceans and seas. Once considered science fiction, these projects are now operational, under construction, or actively being planned.
Undersea Rail Is Already a Reality
Japan’s Seikan Tunnel and the Channel Tunnel between the United Kingdom and France proved decades ago that undersea railways are not only possible, but reliable. These tunnels carry passengers and freight beneath the sea every day, reshaping regional connectivity.
Undersea railways are cleaner than short-haul flights, more resilient than bridges, and capable of lasting more than a century. As climate pressures and congestion increase, rail beneath the sea is emerging as a practical solution for future mobility.
What’s Being Built Right Now
China is currently constructing the Jintang Undersea Railway Tunnel as part of the Ningbo–Zhoushan high-speed rail line, while Europe’s Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link will soon connect Denmark and Germany beneath the Baltic Sea. These projects highlight how transportation and technology are converging to solve modern mobility challenges.
The Mega-Projects Still on the Drawing Board
Looking ahead, proposals such as the Helsinki–Tallinn Tunnel and the long-studied Strait of Gibraltar rail tunnel could reshape global affairs by linking regions—and even continents—once separated by water.
Why Undersea Rail Matters
The future of transportation may not rise above the ocean—but run quietly beneath it.
