NASA's Artemis 2 crew announcement to Japanese Moon landing | Science events in April

The month of April will be full of excitement for spaceflight geeks as significant events are about to unfold. It will start with NASA's announcement of the Artemis 2 crew and (hopefully) end with the launch of SpaceX's mega-rocket Starship. As April is upon us, here are the biggest events in spaceflight to watch out for. 

Artemis 2 crew announcement by NASA

On April 3, you will meet the team of astronauts flying to the Moon on the #Artemis II mission.

These explorers will pave the way for future lunar landings and our next giant leap — human exploration of Mars. https://t.co/PRlRVEsJVz pic.twitter.com/BBlyhVJZNV

— NASA (@NASA)

The US space agency will announce the name of four astronauts who will fly to the Moon and back under the Artemis 2 mission. According to NASA, the announcement will be made on April 3 during the program organised at the Johnson Space Center in Houston that starts at 8:30 pm IST. While three of those astronauts will be from the US, one of them will be a Canadian national.

Launch of ESA's JUICE mission 

#ESAJuice will characterise Jupiter’s moons as both celestial bodies and possible habitats for life, either past or present.

What do we expect to find about these Moons? 🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/ZyIePMRPbA

— ESA's JUICE mission (@ESA_JUICE)

The Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer or JUICE which has been developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) is targeted for launch on April 13. This mission aims to investigate the ocean-bearing Moons– Europa, Ganymede and Callisto– which orbit Jupiter and confirm if life ever existed or could exist there. Set for launch aboard the Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana, the spacecraft will reach its destination in 2031. Read more about it here. 

HAKUTO-R lander's Moon landing

Hello from lunar orbit! 🌔

After last week's successful lunar orbital insertion maneuver, this image of the Moon was captured by our lander-mounted camera during HAKUTO-R Mission 1.

More stunning views to come!
#ispace #hakuto_r #lunarquest #moon #space pic.twitter.com/h2WHW7YPrp

— ispace (@ispace_inc)

The HAKUTO-R lander built by private Japanese company ispace is set to make its landing on the Moon in late April. After its launch aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket on December 11 last year, the lander entered the lunar orbit on March 21. Once on the surface, the lander will roll out a mini rover named Rashid built by UAE’s Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre to explore the Moon's surface for one lunar days (or 14 Earth days). 

Starship's probable launch

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, in mid March, said Starship's launch could be possible by third week of April. The megarocket which stands 120 meters (394 feet) tall is long due for its debut orbital mission but has faced multiple delays due to a numerous hurdles. One of the biggest hurdles is a launch license from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), procurement of which could push the timeline well beyond April.