NASA named the astronauts who will launch on its Artemis 3 mission next year to test docking procedures in Earth orbit ahead of a planned moon landing in 2028.

NASA pushed its Deep Space Network beyond its limits during the Artemis I mission nearly four years ago. The global array of deep space communications antennas couldn’t keep up with the routine demands of 40 robotic science missions and the extraordinary surge required by NASA’s Orion space capsule as it flew around the Moon.

“How long does it take to move a moon rocket four miles? For Artemis II, NASA’s answer is “most of a day.” The agency’s plan to send the Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion to Pad 39B on Jan. 17 turns a short distance into a high-stakes systems check,

TMC Technologies and its team were recognized on Saturday during a special event hosted by the City of Pleasant Valley for their contributions to NASA’s Artemis II mission, the historic effort to return humans to the Moon and lay the groundwork for future exploration of Mars.

The inner lining on Prada's spacesuits will keep astronauts comfortable and protected from the often harsh temperatures on the moon.