Moon Monday #274: Artemis updates and Japanese missions galore

Artemis updatesThe bulk of the SLS rocket core stage for the Artemis III mission is seen here arriving at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. I love the scale of the image being so apparent with people and cars around. Image: NASA / Glenn BensonScience communicator Hank Green made this interactive website of photos spread across the timeline of the Artemis II lunar mission and flyby.Among the technological checkpoints passed by Artemis II, the NASA-MIT-developed optical laser communications terminal on the Orion spacecraft was successfully used to transmit and receive data and imagery during the mission. Its peak transfer speed was close to 260 Mbps as designed, including at an off-the-shelf receiver on Earth. [Note: The linked report from Eric Berger states the off-the-shelf receiver speed as 260 MBps at one place, which is incorrect since the right value is 260 megabits per second.] As part of an optical communications program, the system demonstrated its aim of sending more data…