This year, four NASA astronauts will fly around the Moon and back for the first time since the Apollo program. Their mission is called Artemis II. It’s a key test flight that will set the stage for Artemis III, when humans land on the lunar South Pole for the first time and set up a long-term presence there. In this episode, meet your intrepid Artemis II crew: commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen.

Currently, flying faster than the speed of sound over land is prohibited for commercial flights because it creates disruptive sonic booms. NASA's experimental X-59 plane will research how to turn those booms into "sonic thumps," about as loud as a slamming car door. Lead pilot Nils Larson explains how the X-59 could usher in the next era of commercial supersonic flight.

In 2022, NASA launched Artemis I, an uncrewed test flight of the rocket and spacecraft that will send humans to the Moon. Go inside Firing Room 1—the nerve center for Artemis launches—and hear from the engineers who launched Artemis I, including the intricate procedures they developed just to fuel the rocket correctly. Now NASA is ready to launch Artemis II—and to send humans around the Moon.

This year, four NASA astronauts are flying around the Moon and back—and Curious Universe is bringing you along for the ride. The mission is called Artemis II. It’s a key test flight that will set the stage for future missions to land on the lunar South Pole for the first time and set up a long-term presence there. In this limited series, get to know your Artemis II astronaut crew, go behind the scenes at NASA facilities across the country and discover the teamwork, passion and problem-solving fueling humanity’s return to the Moon—and beyond.

On episode 406, International Space Station leaders Laura Shaw and Jennifer Buchli discuss the science, discoveries, and innovations that have defined nearly 25 years aboard the orbiting laboratory.

On episode 405, former ISS program manager and Axiom Space co-founder Michael Suffredini reflects on the ambitious path to building the International Space Station and the lessons learned from a decade of leadership.

On episode 404, the CHAPEA Mission 2 crew discusses their backgrounds and preparations for their upcoming yearlong analog Mars mission inside the Mars Dune Alpha habitat at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

On episode 403, NASA astronaut Chris Williams shares his journey exploring the early universe, cancer treatment techniques, and astronaut training before his first mission to the International Space Station.

On episode 407, NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson reflects on her experiences living and working aboard the International Space Station and what 25 years of continuous human presence in space means for humanity’s future.

El cosmos se expande cada vez más rápido y aún no sabemos por qué. En este episodio, nos adentramos en el cautivador misterio de la energía oscura, uno de los principales objetivos del próximo telescopio espacial Nancy Grace Roman de la NASA. Junto con la misión Euclid y otros observatorios, Roman nos permitirá finalmente responder a una de las grandes preguntas de la astrofísica moderna: ¿qué es la energía oscura?