Artemis II crew nears ‘epic lunar flyby,’ set to push deeper into space than any human before

Astronauts on the Artemis II mission are nearing the moon on flight day six, with the crew set to surpass Apollo 13’s distance record and become the most distant humans in history. The flyby promises new views of the far side of the moon never seen before by human eyes.

Stephen Sorace /Fox News

The Artemis II astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft reached a new mission milestone as the crew prepares to slingshot around the far side of the moon later Monday, breaking the record for how far humans have traveled from Earth.

At 12:37 a.m. Monday, Mission Control Houston confirmed the spacecraft officially entered the lunar sphere of influence at the tail end of the fifth day of space travel. It marks a major mission milestone that means the gravitational forces of the moon were now greater on the spacecraft than the pull of the Earth’s gravity.

"We are now falling to the Moon rather than rising away from Earth,” Artemis II Mission Specialist Christina Koch said from aboard the spacecraft about an hour after entering the lunar sphere of influence. “It is an amazing milestone!"

Artemis II will make its closest approach to the moon later Monday during flight day six.

NASA said it will broadcast coverage of the mission beginning at 1 p.m. ET. Read more here. 

US, Israeli airstrikes batter Iran as Trump’s Strait of Hormuz deadline looms

Associated Press / NEW YORK POST  

Israel and the United States carried out a wave of attacks on Iran on Monday, killing more than 25 people, and Iran responded with missile fire on Israel and its Gulf Arab neighbors.

US President Donald Trump’s deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz loomed as mediators circulated a new ceasefire proposal.

Explosions rang out in Tehran and low-flying jets could be heard for hours as the capital was pounded. Thick black smoke rose near the city’s Azadi Square after one airstrike hit the grounds of the Sharif University of Technology.

Among those killed in one of the attacks was the head of intelligence for Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, Maj. Gen. Majid Khademi, according to Iranian state media and Israel’s defense minister.

Iranian missiles hit the northern Israeli city of Haifa, where two people were found dead in the rubble of a residential building, and searchers looked for two more. Read more, see photos  and video here. 

Tomorrow is Easter Sunday. Wishing all my Patriot Factor blog followers and readers of the Christian faith a very 

Happy and Peaceful Easter.

 

Time of day is key in rescue of lost pilot shot down over Iran, experts say: ‘We own the night’

 Natalie O'Neill / NEW YORK POST

The missing US fighter pilot shot down over Iran Friday has an edge over enemies because the search-and-rescue mission is unfolding at night, military experts said.

US forces have better night vision and infrared communication technology than combatants in Iran — and darkness will help the pilot remain hidden in the hostile territory, the experts said.

“We own the night,” Capt. Ron Alvarado, a retired Marine combat pilot, told The Post. “Hopefully, he or she will be rescued by morning.”

“Night is the best [for rescues] because you can’t be seen. Dawn and dusk are also good periods of time because you can see — but not necessarily be seen,” he added.

Alvarado, who spent decades flying aircraft in combat, said the missing crew member‘s elite survival training is likely now kicking in “like muscle memory.”

“Obviously he or she is going to stand out like a sore thumb, so the biggest thing is to remain unsighted,” Alvarado said.

US-Iran ceasefire talks reach standstill, say mediators - report

Iran told mediators it is unwilling to meet US officials in Islamabad to discuss a ceasefire, as regional intermediaries such as Egypt and Turkey search for alternate solutions to end the conflict.

Ariella Roitman /THE J ERUSALEM POST 

The current round of ceasefire efforts between the US and Iran has reached a dead end, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing mediators. 

Iran told mediators, a committee of regional countries led by Pakistan, that it isn’t willing to meet US officials in Islamabad in the coming days, according to the report. 

Additionally, an unnamed source told Iran's semi-official Fars news agency on Friday that Tehran had rejected the US proposal for a 48-hour ceasefire.

Tehran also claimed that US demands for a deal are “unacceptable," repeating its argument from previous rounds of talks.

WSJ added that Turkey and Egypt are pushing for a solution to the standstill, including finding new venues for the talks, such as Doha or Istanbul. They’re also considering fresh proposals, said the mediators. 

Ceasefire efforts were further complicated when Qatar resisted serving as a key mediator for the potential agreement, added WSJ.

Just a Thought...

Trump Drops Jaw-Dropping Video of Iran’s Tallest Bridge Being Destroyed: Taunts Them to Make a Deal

Rusty Weiss / RedState  

President Trump took to Truth Social on Thursday and dropped a dramatic video of Iran's tallest bridge collapsing in ruins after an apparent strike.

The impressive clip comes just hours after the President warned that the United States would hit the rogue nation "extremely hard" in a speech laying out his final phase plan regarding the military operation.

"The biggest bridge in Iran comes tumbling down, never to be used again," Trump wrote. "Much more to follow!"

"It is time for Iran to make a deal before it is too late, and there is nothing left of what still could become a great country!" he added in all caps.

The roughly 10-second video appears to show Iran's B1 Bridge under attack, with heavy smoke rising from the structure. A large section of the road deck then visibly collapses and tumbles down in a cloud of dust and debris. Read more, see Xs and videos here.