Technologies

NASA Is Sending Astronauts to Circle the Moon in February 2026: What to Know

The astronauts won’t be landing or picking up moon rocks during their 10-day mission.

It’s been more than 50 years since astronauts last went to the moon, and yet few NASA missions stir the kind of excitement that the Apollo program once did. But now, NASA has new moon plans. The upcoming Artemis II mission, scheduled for February, will be the closest humanity has come to the moon since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. And it’ll be setting the stage for another moon landing.

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On Tuesday, NASA announced details of the upcoming mission, which will send four astronauts around the moon and back again.

Artemis II: The Plan

The Artemis II launch window opens Feb. 5, 2026, and lasts up to eight days. That means the mission will launch on Feb. 5 at the earliest and Feb. 13 at the latest.

Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen will crew Artemis II. Wiseman, Glover and Koch are all Americans, and Hansen will be the first Canadian ever to travel to the moon.

NASA will use the same systems it did during the uncrewed Artemis I flight test in 2022. The launch will use NASA’s Space Launch System rocket, which was developed by Aerojet Rocketdyne, Boeing, Northrop Grumman and the United Launch Alliance.

After launch, the Orion spacecraft will perform a series of maneuvers to raise its orbit around Earth. NASA says that Orion will be 46,000 miles away from Earth during this time. For reference, the International Space Station orbits at around 250 miles above our planet.

Orion will orbit Earth twice before separating from the upper stage of the Space Launch System rocket. From there, manual controls will be engaged and the crew will be on its way to the moon. After a few days, the crew will overshoot the moon by about 4,700 miles, giving the crew a rare glimpse of the Earth and the moon at the same time, with the moon in the foreground.

After the overshoot, the crew will begin its return home. NASA refers to this as a free ride, as the crew essentially just has to wait for gravity to pull Orion back to Earth. The trip will take 10 days in total.

We’ll have to wait until 2027 for a moon landing

By the time the Artemis II crew circles the moon, it will have been 54 years since NASA’s final Apollo mission sent astronauts to the moon in December 1972.

During that 12-day mission, the Apollo 17 crew landed on the moon, collected space rocks and investigated potential volcanic activity. The mission was famous for being the first to include a civilian scientist, geologist Harrison Schmitt.

The Artemis II crew will come closer to the moon than any human has since the Apollo 17 mission, but they won’t land on the moon’s surface. Instead, they will fly around it.

The Artemis II mission serves as a test flight to see how well the Space Launch System rocket and Orion perform. The mission will also test and observe the spacecraft to ensure it works as expected. Think of Artemis II as a dress rehearsal for a follow-up mission, Artemis III, which will include a crewed moon landing.

Artemis III is planned for 2027. If it stays on schedule, it will be the mission that puts humans back on the moon for the first time in 55 years. The crew plans to touch down in one of 13 planned landing sites, including the previously untouched south pole of the moon.

Technologies

We May Know What the Next Nintendo Switch 2 Pokemon Game Will Be Called

A massive leak reveals potential details about the 10th generation of Pokemon games coming to the Nintendo Switch 2, including big changes.

A new Pokemon game, Pokemon Legends: Z-A, will be released for the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 on Thursday, but a recent leak might have revealed info about what’s coming next from the creators of the franchise. The names of the next games headed to the Switch 2, as well as some of the big changes to the Pokemon formula, may have been part of the leak.

The leak showed up on X Monday from the account Centro Leaks, as first spotted by Insider Gaming. Data about the upcoming games reportedly stems from a hack of the servers of the franchise developer Game Freak that happened in August 2024, referred to online as the Teraleak, that included the source code for the upcoming Pokemon Legenda: Z-A.

Among the information shared by the account was the possible name for what would be the 10th generation of Pokemon games that would come to the Switch 2 next year: Pokemon Wind and Pokemon Wave.

The Pokemon Company didn’t immediately respond to a request for confirmation about this leak.

Pokémon Gen 10:
Pokémon Wind and Pokémon Waves
Theme: Infinity
Directed by Shigeru Ohmori

— Centro LEAKS (@CentroLeaks) October 13, 2025

According to the leak, Pokemon Wind/Wave is inspired by the Southeast Asia region and will feature a jungle-themed environment. It could also feature a new mechanic referred to as a Seed Pokemon, which is reportedly a special Pokemon that is heavily involved in the story and must be raised by the player. As it evolves, it will have a unique look that is procedurally generated, and once it’s fully evolved, it will allow the player to gain access to an island where they can find the main legendary Pokemon of the game.

The main theme of Pokemon Wind/Wave is the concept of infinity, according to the leak. This would match with the reported focus of procedurally generated content, not only with the special Seed Pokemon, but also with the islands of the game being procedurally generated, so each game is unique and could continue to grow with no end.

Also included in the leak were other details, including Pokemon on the overworld being interactable, weather affecting gameplay in some way, 18 new challenges for players instead of traditional gyms, and a few screenshots of the game in development that are still available to see at the PokeLeaks subreddit. There was also info that the 11th-generation Pokemon game could be released in 2030.

It is unlikely that Nintendo, The Pokemon Company or Game Freak will confirm the details of the leak. Expect to see the official announcement early next year, with the fall being the most likely release window for Pokemon Wind/Wave.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, Oct. 15

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Oct. 15.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It includes both the first and last name of one of my favorite chefs of all time — maybe yours, too. Read on for the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Chromebooks, but not MacBooks
Answer: PCS

4A clue: «Yippee!»
Answer: WAHOO

6A clue: Reveal, as juicy gossip
Answer: SPILL

7A clue: With 2-Down, chef who helped popularize chicken cordon bleu in the U.S.
Answer: JULIA

8A clue: Toss in
Answer: ADD

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Toss in
Answer: PAPUA

2D clue: See 7-Across
Answer: CHILD

3D clue: State of matter for most elements at room temperature
Answer: SOLID

4D clue: Business-focused newspaper, for short
Answer: WSJ

5D clue: Hello, in Portuguese
Answer: OLA

Technologies

Want to Watch a Podcast? Netflix and Spotify Partner to Bring Video Podcasts to Streaming

Starting in early 2026, Netflix subscribers in the US will be able to watch select Spotify Studios and Ringer podcasts directly on the streaming platform.

Netflix and Spotify are teaming up to blur the line between streaming and podcasting. The two companies announced a new partnership that will bring a curated slate of Spotify’s top video podcasts, including shows from Spotify Studios and The Ringer, to Netflix starting in early 2026. The goal is to make popular podcasts as watchable as TV, expanding both services’ reach into sports, culture, lifestyle and true crime.

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The deal marks Spotify’s most significant distribution push beyond its own platform, and for Netflix, it’s a new way to keep audiences engaged with talk-driven, low-cost programming. Early titles include The Bill Simmons Podcast, The Rewatchables, Dissect, Conspiracy Theories and Serial Killers, among others. You can find the complete list here.

More shows and genres are expected to be added over time.

Netflix says the partnership complements its library of documentaries and talk shows, offering «fresh voices and new perspectives.» Spotify, meanwhile, described it as «a new chapter for podcasting,» giving creators access to Netflix’s global audience while expanding discovery for listeners who prefer watching podcasts.

The rollout will begin in the US early next year, with additional markets to follow in 2026.