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Good morning. For a short period today, the four-person crew of the Artemis II mission will be alone in space, unable to contact anyone on Earth. Facing the far side of the moon, the astronauts will be further from our planet than anyone before them, divided from the rest of humanity by the enormous white rock we see in the sky at night.
This is a crucial stage of their mission. All being well, the crew will spend most of their time documenting parts of the moon that no human has been able to see with their own eyes since the Apollo missions more than 50 years ago. Once done, the moon’s gravity will catapult their Orion spacecraft back to Earth.
Today on First Edition, we are covering what to expect in the critical hours of the Nasa Artemis II mission, an indisputable marvel of human achievement and coordination. But first, the headlines.
Five big stories
Middle East | Donald Trump issued an expletive-laden warning for Tehran to reopen the strait of Hormuz or the US will obliterate Iran’s power plants and bridges. Iran’s parliament speaker responded that the US president’s “reckless moves” would mean “our whole region is going to burn”.
UK politics | Keir Starmer has criticised the Green party, claiming that voting for Labour’s rivals jeopardises advances such as the new workers’ rights set to take effect today.
Immigration | Government ministers are working with Labour backbenchers to modify proposed immigration changes by the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, that would extend to 10 years the time required for individuals to achieve settled status in the UK.
Aliens | Jared Isaacman, the top official at Nasa, has said that the possibility of alien life is a core consideration in mission planning, emphasising that exploring the universe’s secrets includes asking the question: “Are we alone?”
Hungary | Serbia’s claim that it found “explosives of devastating power” near a pipeline that carries Russian gas to Hungary sparked claims by the country’s leading opposition candidate of a possible “false flag” operation aimed at influencing elections in favour of the incumbent prime minister, Viktor Orbán.
In depth: It’s hard not to be moved by the enormity of this
Ever since Artemis II launched from the Kennedy Space Centre on 1 April, the view of Earth has become smaller and smaller for its crew. Today, our planet will probably disappear entirely, replaced instead by the lunar landscape. The moon will appear the same size as a basketball held at arm’s length from Orion as it orbits.
Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen will not land on the moon this time. The mission is about preparing for a lunar landing by 2028 – part of Nasa’s plan to build a base on the moon that could have a continuous human presence. Over the weekend, the astronauts have spent their time checking systems and spacesuits, and rehearsing their role in scientific experiments connected to the mission.
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Some very earthly problems
Despite being so far from Earth, they have already had to contend with some familiar problems, including an out of order loo. With help from the crew back home, Koch had to fix the plumbing on the $30m toilet – the first ever with a private cubicle on a spacecraft of this type.
On previous Apollo missions, solid waste was collected in bags and strapped to spacesuits. Liquid waste was collected in condom-like containers. Unfortunately, both methods were prone to leaks – to the disgust of the astronauts. Thankfully, for everyone on board, the new system is working as intended – although the flush is so loud that the crew need to wear ear protection.
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A science-gathering mission
The mission has not been without controversy. The entire Artemis programme is expected to cost almost $100bn, which critics say is an affront to the millions of Americans suffering with a cost of living crisis. The launch is happening despite an attempt from President Donald Trump to make deep cuts to Nasa funding last year, which was rebuffed due to rare bipartisan support. And there is major scepticism that American astronauts will really be back on the moon in 2028 – with many cautioning it will probably happen when Trump’s second presidency is over.
Still, it’s hard not to be enthralled by the achievements of the mission and its advances for our understanding of space travel.
In Nasa’s quest to better understand the challenges of deep space exploration, the astronauts are also volunteers in scientific experiments, hoping to bolster knowledge for future missions. They will be collecting saliva samples to monitor how their immune systems respond to radiation exposure, isolation and distance from Earth during the 10-day mission, examining whether dormant viruses could be reactivated by space travel. The re-emergence of illnesses like chickenpox and shingles has been a problem for astronauts on the International Space Station.
The crew are also wearing “organ-on-a-chip technology”, a device the size of a USB stick that contains some of their blood. It acts as a replica of their bone marrow, which is especially sensitive to radiation. Nasa scientists hope that the data will help them better predict the response of astronauts to the demands of space travel – enabling mission planners to provide individualised medical kits to each crew member in the future.
For missions that go deeper into space, astronauts will have to contend with “space weather” from the Sun, which causes spikes in radiation that might poison them. The astronauts this time have a protection shelter on the craft with them that they will test against radiation spikes from solar flares and other high-radiation events.
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Humanity can work together
Watching the livestream from Orion on YouTube, it is hard not to be moved by the enormity of the scientific and technological achievements of the mission. During their journey, the astronauts have slept in strange positions to ensure they would not drift around the cabin, which is about the size of a caravan.
“The crew is feeling pretty good up here on our way to the moon,” said astronaut Jeremy Hansen as the mission was cleared to zoom away from Earth’s orbit on Friday. “Humanity has once again shown what we are capable of.”
Within hours of swinging around the far side of the moon, they will begin their return journey to Earth. There are still major challenges ahead. When it re-enters our planet’s atmosphere on Friday , the spacecraft must withstand temperatures up to 1,650C before parachuting into the Pacific Ocean.
But today, a period of solitude in space awaits the crew: 41 minutes of radio silence where it will be just them among the stars. It is an experience that had a profound experience on astronauts before them.
“That’s when we will be closest to the moon, farthest from the Earth,” astronaut Victor Glover said in February in an interview with CBS’s 60 minutes.
Glover, the first Black person to travel to the moon, added: “But it is also a human moment. I would love for us to have a moment of togetherness for humans to go ‘Hey, there’s a part of humanity that’s not in touch for the rest of us.’ I hope that it inspires folks to have a moment of togetherness.”
For me, at least, it has.
What else we’ve been reading
I couldn’t agree more with Robin Craig who argues, passionately, that a home full of clutter beats a stripped back museum-style house every time. Poppy Noor, newsletters team
Pamela Hutchinson has a moving interview with Sean Hepburn Ferrer, son of Audrey Hepburn. He has written an authorised biography about his mother’s extraordinary life. Patrick
I loved Gaby Hinsliff’s roundup of the scandalous photos that changed the world in our Saturday paper this weekend, which did nothing to dampen my crush on Hugh Grant. Poppy
I was blown away by this extraordinary story, about a father and son who made their fortune in Dubai and then became wanted men. Patrick
I read, in awe, this new start after 60, about a man who decided to become a professional poker player, winning sums as big as £150,000. “You don’t tend to get those highs in a normal job” he says – you can say that again. Poppy
Sport
Football | Despite scoring twice in injury time to level the FA Cup quarter-final, West Ham still went out on penalties after their 2-2 draw against Leeds, who reached their first semi-final since 1987.
Rugby union | Bordeaux Bégles delivered a dominant performance against Leicester, winning 64-14 in the Champions Cup to set up a quarter-final against Toulouse next weekend.
Football | Arsenal made a surprise exit at the quarter-final stage of the Women’s FA Cup for the second successive season as Brighton stunned the record 14-time cup winners at Borehamwood.
The front pages
The Guardian’s page one lead is “Trump threatens to unleash ‘hell’ on Iran in expletive-laden tirade”. The Mail’s version is “Trump drops F-bomb on Iran” and the Mirror’s main headline is “Unhinged” under a strapline that says “President hits new low”. The Financial Times reports: “Trump renews Iran threat in bid to reopen Hormuz strait”. The Times has “New Trump deadline to open Strait or ‘face hell’”. Top story in the Telegraph is “‘We got him’ – US airman rescued in daring raid”. The Express stays local with “‘Vile’ betrayal of grooming gang victims”.
Today in Focus
Move over Murdochs, here come the Ellisons
Margaret Sullivan on the billionaire father and son buying up the US media
Cartoon of the day | Tom Gauld
The Upside
A bit of good news to remind you that the world’s not all bad
France can be reached in a few short hours by train from the UK, and offers some striking experiences for all tastes this summer. In Calais, visitors can ride the fire‑breathing Dragon de Calais and its new companion, Le Varan, before exploring nearby beaches and chateaus. Normandy marks the centenary of Monet’s death, with Rouen providing a quieter place to admire his cathedral series.
Cyclists can tackle the new Traversée Bretonne from Nantes to Mont‑Saint‑Michel. Brittany boasts tidal pools to cool off after long days of sightseeing, and the remote Aubrac plateau rewards travellers with rustic food and starry skies. Late summer in the Vallée du Gapeau brings fig festivals and scenic hikes, while the Jura mountains reveal the world of comté cheese. Start packing those suitcases.
Sign up here for a weekly roundup of The Upside, sent to you every Sunday
Bored at work?
And finally, the Guardian’s puzzles are here to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
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