About Author
A creative professional with forays into all kinds of artistic pursuits, Pranjal's knack for meticulousness when it comes down to telling stories about space is rooted in his existential fascination. Aspects of his creative writing stem from a range of influences—be it the excellent authorship of Carl Sagan in Cosmic Connection, or in Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time. From an early age, the works of astronomy iconoclasts Copernicus, Galileo, and Kepler helped him develop a scientific temper in the face of prevailing traditions, and this has pervaded into Pranjal's current works on spaceflight and skywatching. With him joining Starlust.org’s brilliant team of writers, he can realize his dream of perhaps awakening the curiosity of a fellow stargazer, the same way his own interests were piqued many moons ago.
Latest From Pranjal Pranit
‘This time we won't just leave footprints': Donald Trump to Artemis II crew after historic lunar flyby
Soon after the Artemis II crew had completed their historic lunar flyby, U.S. President Donald Trump got in touch to congratulate them.
As Artemis II heads back home, here's a look at the highlights of the historic lunar flyby
The observation period began at 2:45 p.m. EDT on April 6 and concluded at 9:35 p.m.
Artemis II Lunar Targeting Plan: The software that will guide the crew during the lunar flyby
The software comes with a list of observational targets and cue cards to help the Artemis II crew make the best out of the opportunity.
Artemis II: Orion finally conducts an outbound correction burn, countdown to lunar observations begins
The previous two outbound correction burns were deemed unnecessary and were cancelled.
'Not the Moon you see from Earth': NASA’s Christina Koch describes the view from Artemis II’s Orion
Artemis II crew, once again, shared their experiences so far on the mission during the furthest ever interview conducted.
Artemis II astronauts Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen complete manual piloting demo
This was the first time controls were handed over to the two mission specialists of Artemis II.
Artemis II: NASA working to resolve 'burning smell' reported by crew and issues venting wastewater
The smell remains under investigation, while partial success has been achieved in venting liquid waste.
Scientists simulate how collision of two galaxies will proceed over 200 million years from now
“This is the most sophisticated simulation to do this in the world right now.”
Looking ahead at Artemis II Flight Day 2: Translunar injection, video call with crew and more
An eventful Day 1 is going to be followed by an equally exciting Day 2.
The Artemis II crew had a toilet scare aboard the Orion spacecraft
The spacecraft’s Universal Waste Management System was unable to manage liquid waste because of a jammed fan.
Artemis II completes proximity operations demonstration; Orion's perigee raise burn to follow
The proximity operations demonstration used the ICPS as a stand-in for an actual docking target and lasted about 70 minutes.
NASA completes loading cryogenic fuel into Artemis II SLS tanks
All stages are in replenish phase now.
Inside the Artemis ground launch sequencer—a system crucial for the launch of the Moon mission
The ground launch sequencer handles several operations in the build-up to the actual launch.
Artemis II launch director gives official 'go'—SLS fueling is underway as the crew wakes up
Tanking operations have begun at Launch Pad 39-B of the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
NASA says April 1 the 'most optimum' launch window before wind and rain risks increase
'Tomorrow looks to be the best. Other days – hit and miss,' said Mark Burger, the launch weather officer of the 45th Weather Squadron, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
SpaceX launches Transporter-16 rideshare mission, putting 119 payloads in low Earth orbit
The payloads also included one re-usable spacecraft with advanced thermal protection.
SpaceX assures March 29 anomaly with Starlink satellite poses no threat to Artemis II launch
The issue with Starlink satellite 34343 did not impact SpaceX's Transporter-16 mission either, which launched yesterday.
Why the SLS rocket is the perfect fit for the Artemis II mission
The Space Launch System rocket is the only vehicle capable of delivering the Orion spacecraft, humans, and cargo to the Moon in a single launch.
‘We are ready': NASA mission managers confident ahead of April 1 launch
Artemis II launch is 80% 'go' for Wednesday evening lift-off.
'Are we alone?': Artemis II crew discusses important scientific questions the mission will help answer
Besides a test of systems vital for future missions, the mission will help with scientific inquiry into the possibility of life beyond Earth.