Mathew Anderson 🥳 2️⃣ 0️⃣ 2️⃣ 6️⃣

New Neighbors: GJ 1002 b and c A pair of Earth-sized exoplanets, GJ 1002 b and c, have been discovered just 16 light-years away. Their proximity makes this system an ideal target for the James Webb telescope.

The Artemis II crew—Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen—have safely exited the Orion spacecraft (named Integrity) after a textbook splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego on April 10, 2026. They're now aboard recovery boats, with the full team on the USS John P. Murtha for medical checks after their ~10-day journey that took them farther into space than any humans since Apollo. This marks humanity's first crewed flight around the Moon in over 50 years—a powerful step on the path back to the lunar surface and beyond.The reentry at Mach 33, the parachutes, the precise "bullseye" splashdown, and the careful extraction by Navy divers and recovery teams were all executed flawlessly. Watching the astronauts step out onto the inflatable platform and take in that first breath of fresh air was genuinely moving.Huge congratulations to the entire NASA, CSA, and industry team (including Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Navy) for bringing them home safely. This mission wasn't just a test flight; it was a historic return to deep-space crewed exploration.What's next? Data from this flight will help refine Artemis III and the crewed lunar landing. The future of human spaceflight feels closer than ever.Welcome home, Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy.