First woman, next man on moon will come from these NASA 18
Cape Canaveral (US), Dec 10: NASA has named the 18 astronauts half of them women who will train for its Artemis moon-landing programme.
The first woman and next man on the moon will come from this elite group.
Vice President Mike Pence introduced the astronauts on Wednesday at the close of his final meeting as chairman of the National Space Council. The announcement was made at Florida's Kennedy Space Centre, beneath one of only three remaining Saturn V moon rockets from the 1960s and 1970s Apollo programme.
My fellow Americans, I give you the heroes of the future who will carry us back to the moon and beyond, the Artemis generation, Pence told the small crowd, seated several feet apart from one another.
Five of the astronauts, the only ones in attendance walked onto the stage, waving and wearing masks.
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine stressed there would be more astronauts joining the group. NASA has 47 active astronauts.
The space agency is aiming for a moon landing by 2024, although the chances of that happening are growing increasingly dim. The upcoming change in administration also adds uncertainty.
Half of the NASA astronauts have spaceflight experience. Two are at the International Space Station right now: Kate Rubins and Victor Glover.
The two astronauts who performed the world's first all-female spacewalk last year made the cut: Christina Koch and Jessica Meir.
It's a fairly young group, with most in their 30s or 40s. The oldest is 55, the youngest 32. Only two Joe Acaba and Stephanie Wilson flew on NASA's old space shuttles.
The other experienced members on the list include Kjell Lindgren, Anne McClain and Scott Tingle, both former space station residents.
Among those yet to rocket into space: Kayla Barron, Raja Chari, Matthew Dominick, Woody Hoburg, Jonny Kim, Nicole Mann, Jasmin Moghbeli, Frank Rubio and Jessica Watkins.
"My fellow Americans, I give you the heroes of the future who'll carry us back to the Moon and beyond - the Artemis generation." - @VP Pence introduces the #Artemis team of 18 @NASA_Astronauts, including 5 attending the Space Council, who'll prepare us for missions to the Moon. pic.twitter.com/NyocHHlf2v
— Moonbound with #Artemis (@NASA) December 9, 2020
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Madhya Pradesh HC orders FIR against Minister Vijay Shah over remarks on Colonel Sofia Qureshi
Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh High Court has directed the registration of a police case against BJP minister Kunwar Vijay Shah over his controversial remarks against Indian Army officer Colonel Sofia Qureshi, who recently briefed the media about Operation Sindoor against Pakistan.
Taking suo motu cognizance based on newspaper reports, Justice Atul Sreedharan observed that the minister's comments were "dangerous" and could incite enmity between groups, potentially falling under Section 196 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with actions that promote enmity on religious grounds.
"The FIR needs to be registered. Everyone can see it [the comments]," the judge stated, directing the Director General of Police (DGP) to file a First Information Report (FIR) by the evening. The court warned that failure to comply would lead to proceedings under the Contempt of Courts Act against the DGP.
When the Advocate General argued that the court had acted solely based on media reports, Justice Sreedharan remarked, "Now that you’ve said that, we will add links of videos to the order." He also emphasized the urgency of the matter, stating, “I may not be alive tomorrow.”
The court made it clear that while the investigation would be left to the concerned authorities, the immediate registration of an FIR was non-negotiable. “Chaar gante bahut wakht hai (four hours is more than enough time),” the court noted, adding that the matter would be taken up on priority the next day.
“This is our order: DGP will comply or it will be stayed by the Supreme Court,” Justice Sreedharan concluded.
Breaking: Madhya Pradesh High Court takes suo motu cognizance of BJP minister Kunwar Vijay Shah's comments targeting Colonel Sofia Qureshi, the Indian Army officer who had briefed the media about Operation Sindoor against Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/mtRDCGjsP7
— Bar and Bench (@barandbench) May 14, 2025
