Sunday Special: Artemis II Heads to the Moon

For the first time in over 50 years, NASA has launched a crewed mission to the Moon, marking a historic return to deep space travel. The Artemis II crew is now on a flight path that will take them farther from Earth than any human in history.

The Most Important Scientific and Technological Breakthroughs This Week

1. Artemis II Blasts Off on Historic Journey Around the Moon

On April 1, NASA’s Artemis II successfully lifted off from Kennedy Space Center, carrying four astronauts on a journey around the Moon — the first crewed lunar mission in 54 years.

Key details:

• The crew will not land on the Moon. Instead, they will swing within 8,000 kilometers of the lunar surface to stress-test the Orion spacecraft.
• This mission is designed to pave the way for Artemis IV and V, which are slated to land astronauts on the Moon in 2028.
• The astronauts have shared stunning views of Earth from space, with photos that quickly went viral.
• NASA issued each astronaut an iPhone 17 Pro Max, marking the first time an iPhone has been fully qualified for extended use in orbit and beyond. The crew has used the devices to capture images through Orion’s windows.

2. Gene Therapy Injection May ‘Reverse’ Deafness

Scientists have published results from a small but landmark gene therapy trial targeting certain forms of deafness. Ten patients with varying degrees of hearing loss received an injection delivering a working copy of the OTOF gene directly into the inner ear.

• Every patient experienced major improvement.
• Average sound detection improved from 106 decibels to 52 decibels.
• Researchers are now exploring additional deafness-related genes, including GJB2 and TMC1, as potential future targets.

The results represent a significant step forward in the development of genetic treatments for hearing loss.

3. Your Skull Could Replace Your Passwords

Scientists at Rutgers University have developed a biometric authentication system that uses the unique vibrations created by your breathing and heartbeat within your skull to verify identity.

• The system, called VitalID, was tested over 10 months with 52 users.
• It authenticated the correct user more than 95% of the time.
• It blocked imposters 98% of the time.

The team believes this technology could become a secure and frictionless login method for VR and AR headsets, potentially replacing traditional passwords.