The Artemis II crew’s 10-day journey around Earth and the Moon – Timeline of NASA’s historic lunar missions

NASA’s Artemis II mission ended with a perfect splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, ending a nearly 10-day journey that took four astronauts farther from Earth than any humans had gone before. The Orion capsule “Integrity” landed by parachute in calm waters off California, with all crew members confirmed safe.Traveling a total of 694,392 miles (more than 1.1 million km), the mission marked humanity’s first crewed trip around the Moon since the Apollo era and an important step toward future lunar landings.

Here is a timeline of the Artemis II mission:

1–2 April: Launch, orbit and critical system verification

The mission lifted off from Kennedy Space Center on April 1 aboard NASA’s Space Launch System. After separation, Orion entered Earth orbit, where astronauts conducted extensive checks on life-support systems, propulsion, avionics, and solar arrays.This stage served as “shakedown cruise”, ensuring that the spacecraft could safely support human life before committing to deep space travel. Engineers also verified the launch abort system and onboard batteries, which are critical for emergency scenarios.

April 2–5: Translunar injection and deep space transit

On April 2, Orion performed a powerful translunar injection burn, accelerating to approximately 22,000 mph and setting course for the Moon. Over the next three days, the crew traveled approximately 240,000 miles, crossing the Van Allen radiation belts and entering deep space.Astronauts conducted experiments on the effects of microgravity, monitoring navigation systems, radiation shielding, and spacecraft autonomy. The spacecraft operated largely on automated systems, requiring minimal human intervention.

5–6 April: Closest approach and record-breaking lunar flight

Around April 5, Artemis II reached the Moon, executing a close flyby that brought it within a few thousand miles of the lunar surface. The crew took high-resolution images and studied the lunar terrain, including target areas for future missions.Using the Moon’s gravity, Orion performed a slingshot maneuver to begin its return journey. During this phase, the mission set a new record by traveling 252,756 miles from Earth – surpassing the Apollo 13 record.The flyby also marked a historic milestone, including the first woman in the crew, the first black astronaut, and the first non-American to participate in a lunar mission.

April 6–10: Return journey and re-entry preparations

The return phase lasted for the next three to four days, during which the crew conducted final system checks and scientific observations. Engineers closely monitored the spacecraft’s heat shield performance data in preparation for re-entry, considered the most dangerous phase of the mission.Following lessons learned from the Artemis I test flight, Orion’s trajectory was carefully adjusted to minimize heat stress.

April 11: High-risk re-entry and ‘perfect bulls-eye’ splashdown

On April 11, Orion re-entered Earth’s atmosphere at 32 times the speed of sound. Temperatures reached nearly 5,000°F as the capsule encountered intense friction and ionized plasma caused a loss of contact for more than six minutes, Reuters reports.Contact was restored moments before the parachute deployed, slowing the capsule to about 25 km/h before precise splashdown. NASA commentators described it as “a perfect bull’s-eye splashdown”.Recovery teams from NASA and the US Navy secured the capsule within two hours. The astronauts were taken via helicopter to the USS John P Murtha for medical examinations before returning to Houston.The mission’s success validates key technologies required for future Artemis missions, including the planned crewed moon landing, and reinforces NASA’s overarching goal of sending humans to Mars.

The world of sports always works in cycles. Teams that dominate for long stretches eventually fall down, before finding their way back again. This is where Chennai Super Kings find themselves. After more than a decade of continuity, the team is now in a state of rebuilding. The core elements that define them have weakened and a shift from experience to youth has become inevitable.

Last season, that change became apparent. Chennai moved away from its trusted core and brought in a group of young, largely uncapped players to rebuild the team. One of those players was Ayush Mhatre. Mhatre adds missing intent to batting line-up in 2025 CSK was desperately looking for this formula For new age T20 batting.

However, this season has not started the same way. Mhatre’s IPL The 2026 campaign has been mixed. Took control of the innings for some time after playing an innings of 73 runs against Punjab Kings. He was on a tear, but in the other two games he got out for single-digit scores. He has also lost his starting spot, with Sanju Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad moving up the order despite struggling for runs themselves.

| IPL 2026: csk vs pbks updates, Achievement: |

This is not the easiest phase for a young batsman. But perhaps that struggle is not too unfamiliar.

In the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup, which India won, Mhatre did not have an easy tournament with the bat. Runs were not coming in large parts. He still found ways to contribute. He bowled more than expected, contributed off-spin and remained involved as captain.

Runs came late. Two half-centuries in the semi-finals and final. India won the World Cup and Mhatre returned as captain, joining a list that includes Mohammad Kaif, Virat Kohli, Unmukt Chand, Prithvi Shaw and Yash Dhull.

His upbringing has shaped how he handles such phases.

“I am mentally strong. I used to go from Virar to Churchgate (a 1:30 hour train journey one way). Sometimes I wouldn’t even get a seat. I had to stand there. I had to go on the field and bat. Even after batting, I didn’t get a seat. I had to stand and go,” Mhatre said on Geostar’s Dream On.

“It was mentally tough. Sometimes you feel bored, you feel like you are not going every day. But my goal was to play cricket. I had the motivation to go out and bat.”

This routine was not unusual for a young cricketer in Mumbai. But they do leave a mark. Long journeys, little rest, and the expectation to show up and perform every day.

It was during those years that his game began to take shape.

Mhatre first trained under Mumbai-based coach Prashant Shetty, who worked with him when he was a young boy trying to find his game. Later, when he moved on to school and age-group cricket, Sachin Kohli was instrumental in guiding him through his teenage years and to higher levels of competition.

Both of them soon noticed something.

“I think there was definitely a spark,” Shetty says. “The backfoot shot he had, normally at that age, 9 or 10, we don’t see that. I was sure he was a good talent.”

That foundation remained with him as he grew up.

“His backfoot shots were a lot stronger than before,” says Collie. “At the higher level, bowlers don’t throw it too much. If you have a strong backfoot game, you can survive. Looking at those shots, everyone thought he would go very far.”

But as his father recalls, ability was only part of it. The way he reacted to situations also matters equally.

One such example was seen in the Under-14 match in Pune.

It was played on a mat wicket, which Mhatre was not used to. He slipped a little at the crease at the beginning of his innings. On the cover, a fielder commented about a Mumbai player who was not even able to stand properly.

Mhatre did not give any answer. He remained at the crease.

After this there was an innings which soon went out of the hands of the opposition team. He started facing the bowlers and when the same player came to bowl, Mhatre hit six sixes in one over.

By the end of the innings, he had scored 256 runs in 94 balls with 36 sixes and 15 fours.

There was a reaction. But there was also an improvement.

After the game, his father talked to him about the inning, not to praise it, but to put it in context.

“You showed him. But you can’t carry on playing with anger. It could have gone the other way too. Don’t let it linger in your mind. Play your game.”

It was a small intervention, but it stuck.

For his coaches, there were other moments that marked his progress.

“I think when he got selected in CSK,” says Shetty, “Playing under MS Dhoni, that was a big moment.

“And when he became the captain of India. When you are leading the country, there is nothing bigger than that.”

He also had early success in first-class cricket with Mumbai, where big scores caught the attention of a strong dressing room.

However, right now Mhatre is going through a phase where runs are not being scored consistently. This is also a stage where roles are changing, opportunities are not fixed and performance is being intensely scrutinized. For a young player on a team that is itself developing, that uncertainty is part of the process.

What Chennai is going through is not just a decline in form. This is a change that was always going to take time. The players who defined the team for years are no longer at its core. In their place is a group that is still finding its footing while adjusting to the demands of the league.

This is not a phase that leads to quick fixes. Chennai has rarely worked like this.

The decisions over the past two seasons point to a longer term plan, where the focus is on building a core that can last rather than bridging gaps year after year. Returns have been uneven in the short term, but that doesn’t change the outlook.

Players like Ayush Mhatre are part of that thinking. His game comes from the plains of Mumbai, and his temperament has been shaped by the daily toil of traveling across the city to train and play.

He’s still early in that journey. The returns haven’t been consistent yet, and the role is still settling in. At the center of this phase is Stephen Fleming, who has overseen much of the franchise’s success and now guides its next phase.

More importantly, the expectation is not the immediate result. It is such that this group, over time, becomes the next group that takes Chennai back to the top.

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New Delhi: The new generation of weight loss injections – already popular globally – is now showing strong results in Indian patients too. A recent study from a Delhi hospital shows that more than 4 out of 10 people have lost at least 10% of their body weight, with doctors saying this level can significantly improve overall health.The research, conducted by doctors at Max Super Specialty Hospital, Saket led by endocrinologist Dr Ambrish Mithal and published in the Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism, tracked 150 overweight and obese adults on these treatments in routine clinical practice.On average, patients lost about 8% of their body weight in six months – around 6 to 10 kg for many. Nearly three-quarters lost at least 5%, which is considered minimal for health benefits like better sugar control and reduced heart risk. Experts said the findings are based on short-term follow-up of about six months. Dr. Ambrish Mithal said, “This is not the ultimate weight loss. With longer follow-up, especially one year, the reduction is likely to be much greater.”But the results were not the same for everyone.People without diabetes responded better, and lost about twice as much weight as those with diabetes. Studies suggest that this may be due to profound metabolic changes and insulin resistance in diabetic patients.The type of medicine also matters. Patients taking tirazepate – a new dual-action injection – lost more and faster weight than those taking semaglutide. Many people reach the 10% mark within 9 to 10 months, although doctors caution that this process happens gradually, not immediately.The study also provides a reality check. Younger patients and those who were using these drugs for the first time saw results sooner, while those who had used similar drugs before saw weight loss more slowly.Side effects such as nausea, bloating and constipation were common, especially in the early stages, but were manageable and did not force patients to discontinue treatment.Unlike clinical trials, which are strictly controlled, this study reflects what happens in everyday life – where people may miss doses, change their diet or have other health conditions. Still, the results persisted, leading doctors to believe that these drugs work beyond ideal settings.With obesity and diabetes on the rise in India, the findings suggest there is a need for a change in the approach to weight loss – from just diet and exercise to medical support that can make a measurable difference.Experts said the message is simple: These injections are not a magical solution, but when used consistently and in conjunction with lifestyle changes, they can lead to steady, meaningful weight loss over time.