Swapna Krishna
@swapnakrishna.com
space reporter. not here for an argument, happy to mute you.
occasionally: national geographic, engadget, fast company, wired, science friday, npr. links: http://bio.site/skrishna
also: Star Trek, Star Wars, knitting, books, parenting
occasionally: national geographic, engadget, fast company, wired, science friday, npr. links: http://bio.site/skrishna
also: Star Trek, Star Wars, knitting, books, parenting
Pinned
Swapna Krishna
@swapnakrishna.com
· Sep 25
NASA's Artemis II ushers in a new era of human exploration
NASA's Artemis II mission could happen as early as February. Here's why this flight will be one to watch.
www.nationalgeographic.com
Meet Artemis II: the first mission to send humans around the moon since 1972. I’ll be covering this mission for National Geographic, so you’ll be seeing a lot from me about it, but here’s the first:
www.nationalgeographic.com/science/arti...
www.nationalgeographic.com/science/arti...
I need you to know I laughed out loud at this
February 8, 2026 at 8:08 PM
I need you to know I laughed out loud at this
Why is NASA’s SLS rocket so damn leaky? I wrote about it over at National Geographic: www.nationalgeographic.com/science/arti...
Why it’s so hard to fuel the Artemis rockets
Liquid hydrogen fuel leaks forced NASA to delay the launch of Artemis II—the same scenario it encountered four years ago during the Artemis I mission.
www.nationalgeographic.com
February 5, 2026 at 2:58 PM
Why is NASA’s SLS rocket so damn leaky? I wrote about it over at National Geographic: www.nationalgeographic.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Swapna Krishna
swung by my local comic book shop to pick up a BANGER
February 4, 2026 at 5:29 PM
swung by my local comic book shop to pick up a BANGER
One of the things I am most proud of is that I've passed on my love of the Muppets to my kiddo and so he's also excited about it
February 4, 2026 at 1:52 PM
One of the things I am most proud of is that I've passed on my love of the Muppets to my kiddo and so he's also excited about it
I am so excited about it
February 4, 2026 at 1:33 AM
I am so excited about it
They just announced it overnight!
February 3, 2026 at 3:23 PM
They just announced it overnight!
I am but I am honestly relieved it’s been delayed. They clearly need the time, and I was not ready to head down to the Cape this weekend.
February 3, 2026 at 2:37 PM
I am but I am honestly relieved it’s been delayed. They clearly need the time, and I was not ready to head down to the Cape this weekend.
(Also hi everyone, yes I am back for now to cover Artemis II!! I will once again be checking in regularly.)
February 3, 2026 at 2:31 PM
(Also hi everyone, yes I am back for now to cover Artemis II!! I will once again be checking in regularly.)
That was expected! The comms issues and some of the other stuff were not.
February 3, 2026 at 2:27 PM
That was expected! The comms issues and some of the other stuff were not.
NASA has quite a few things to fix on Artemis II before March. That means they’re looking at March launch dates, rather than February. www.nasa.gov/blogs/missio...
NASA Conducts Artemis II Fuel Test, Eyes March for Launch Opportunity - NASA
NASA concluded a wet dress rehearsal for the agency’s Artemis II test flight early Tuesday morning, successfully loading cryogenic propellant into the SLS
www.nasa.gov
February 3, 2026 at 1:34 PM
NASA has quite a few things to fix on Artemis II before March. That means they’re looking at March launch dates, rather than February. www.nasa.gov/blogs/missio...
Liquid hydrogen loading has resumed
February 2, 2026 at 9:04 PM
Liquid hydrogen loading has resumed
They encountered this exact issue on Artemis I and came up with troubleshooting procedures. However given the length of time that has passed, I’m not optimistic
February 2, 2026 at 8:05 PM
They encountered this exact issue on Artemis I and came up with troubleshooting procedures. However given the length of time that has passed, I’m not optimistic
Do we laugh? Do we cry?
February 2, 2026 at 7:50 PM
Do we laugh? Do we cry?
It’s now been over an hour since they paused liquid hydrogen propellant loading due to leaks.
February 2, 2026 at 7:47 PM
It’s now been over an hour since they paused liquid hydrogen propellant loading due to leaks.
They paused liquid hydrogen load because of leaks. If anyone remembers tanking operations for Artemis I, this should sound familiar.
February 2, 2026 at 7:02 PM
They paused liquid hydrogen load because of leaks. If anyone remembers tanking operations for Artemis I, this should sound familiar.
Both!!!! I think a LOT of the public affairs staff were part of the RIF, but also I think there’s a reluctance to be open with the press because they don’t want “more delays” stories
February 2, 2026 at 7:01 PM
Both!!!! I think a LOT of the public affairs staff were part of the RIF, but also I think there’s a reluctance to be open with the press because they don’t want “more delays” stories
Communication reasons!! Covering this mission has been hard generally because NASA’s been much more difficult to work with than previously in my experience. I don’t think it’s indicative of them having issues specifically but it does make it easier to obfuscate any issues.
February 2, 2026 at 6:33 PM
Communication reasons!! Covering this mission has been hard generally because NASA’s been much more difficult to work with than previously in my experience. I don’t think it’s indicative of them having issues specifically but it does make it easier to obfuscate any issues.
Tanking operations are currently underway for the Artemis II wet dress rehearsal (basically practicing countdown operations in advance of launch), and there is no audio feed for it for some reason and that’s really really not great
February 2, 2026 at 6:02 PM
Tanking operations are currently underway for the Artemis II wet dress rehearsal (basically practicing countdown operations in advance of launch), and there is no audio feed for it for some reason and that’s really really not great
Oh my god are you talking about how J.G. Hertzler asked me at a con why I liked DS9 and I blurted out “Damar is hot” like the teenager I was because like yes he’s hot but also that’s not…why I liked the show
February 2, 2026 at 6:01 PM
Oh my god are you talking about how J.G. Hertzler asked me at a con why I liked DS9 and I blurted out “Damar is hot” like the teenager I was because like yes he’s hot but also that’s not…why I liked the show
This is actually really good to know because i have heard the same
December 19, 2025 at 12:19 AM
This is actually really good to know because i have heard the same
Yes, I totally agree!! Plus Jen Hale is the absolute greatest
December 18, 2025 at 11:53 PM
Yes, I totally agree!! Plus Jen Hale is the absolute greatest