News about John Shannon

NASA is just hours away from launching the world's most robust rocket. Between 08:33 and 10:33 BST), a lift-off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, will take place. If all goes as expected, another flight will launch in 2024, this time with astronauts on board, before human boots graced the lunar surface a year later as part of the US space agency's ambitious $93 billion (£63 billion) Artemis program. On Artemis III, the first woman and the first person of color will walk on the moon, perhaps as early as 2025. MailOnline has everything you need to hear about the forthcoming Artemis I mission, as well as how to track the flight live.

On August 29, the massive space launch System (SLS) is expected to launch a mission that will see an uncrewed Orion spacecraft carry a six-week mission to lunar orbit and back. The rocket, which weighs in at 5.5 million pounds (2.5 million kg) and is capable of producing nearly 40 meganewtons of thrust, is the modern equivalent of the Saturn V, the massive launcher that brought Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins to the moon in 1969. MailOnline compares how the cars stack up against each other, from their height, weight, and top speed to cost per acquisition, fuel type, and payload capabilities.