Mars & Deep Space — 2026-03-31
This week's most significant development is NASA's Artemis II countdown now underway at Kennedy Space Center, with a historic crewed lunar flyby targeted for April 1, 2026 — humanity's first journey to the Moon's vicinity since the Apollo era. Meanwhile, fresh Webb Telescope observations confirm asteroid 2024 YR4 will safely bypass both Earth and the Moon in 2032, removing all remaining impact concerns. NASA's ESCAPADE twin spacecraft, currently in a loiter orbit near Lagrange point 2, remain on track for their November 2026 Earth flyby before heading to Mars.
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