PELLA, Iowa – Interest in space exploration is growing following the successful Artemis II mission around the moon, and one Iowa company is working on technology that could one day play a role in lunar mining.

BAE Systems has introduced its Ascent spacecraft, a new addition to the company’s Elevation spacecraft line that supports superiority and exploration missions across the space domain. Ascent spacecraft are designed to support dynamic space operations through advanced maneuverability capabilities,

The Trump administration released a memo detailing plans for a nuclear reactor on the Moon by 2030 to advance U.S. space exploration and defense.

The successful Artemis II mission around the moon is a reminder that space exploration is built on decades of groundwork. Photojournalist Joe Van Ryn and Frankie McLister show how a University of Minnesota graduate helped pave the way for spaceflight.

NASA plans to launch more lunar missions after the success of Artemis II, signaling a renewed era for lunar exploration and science — and raising questions about what comes next. A National Academies study currently underway will identify key non-polar landing sites for future crewed lunar missions and what science goals could be achieved.

Center for Space Medicine Research at Massachusetts General Hospital, Dr. Aleksandra Stankovic, breaks down the effects of space travel on the brain.

For NASA educators, the Artemis II mission offers an opportunity to teach children about space exploration.

The Artemis II mission, which concluded Friday with a splashdown, sent four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the moon, setting a record for the farthest distance humans have traveled from Earth.

Within 90 days, the Pentagon must brief the White House’s science and technology policy office, management and budget office, and National Security Council on “relevant use-cases and payloads” for the systems and “best use of the 2031 mission,” according to the policy.

Americans’ opinion of space exploration is pretty high.

The North Dakota Gateway to Science is all in on space exploration and doing what it can to promote STEM education and future Artemis missions.