What we know about the race to rescue downed US airman in Iran

(The Center Square) – Some Republicans have recently introduced bipartisan legislation in the House and Senate aimed at addressing the federal deficit and ultimately reducing the federal debt, though opinions vary on whether Congress will make meaningful progress on the issue anytime soon.

At over $39 trillion, the debt today stands at roughly 124% of America’s GDP and is projected to grow faster than the GDP “for the foreseeable future,” according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. A rising national debt can cause higher interest rates and contribute to inflation. 

u.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives just days into the new year on Jan. 6 recommending that Congress commit to lowering the annual federal deficit (how much the government overspends) to 3% of the GDP by 2030. Right now, it sits at around 6%. The resolution was cosponsored by a number of Democrats and Republicans, and analysts from a broad range of think tanks and advocacy groups spanning the political spectrum support a 3% deficit-to-GDP target.

“The House is right to rally around a 3% deficit target,” said William Glass, policy director for the Millennial Debt Foundation, in a statement. “It isn’t a moonshot; it’s the minimum viable level of protection a modern economy needs to avoid drifting into a debt crisis.”

Comments from Alex Kilander, a policy analyst for the Progressive Policy Institute's Center for Funding America’s Future, echoed those made by Glass, calling the target a “commonsense goal.”

“[It] would begin to right the nation’s fiscal ship, reduce borrowing costs for households, and strengthen economic opportunity for all Americans,” Kilander said.

But resolutions, if passed, often simply express the opinion or intent of their chambers and are non-binding. They can lead to further action – like the introduction of actual law – or simply remain a symbolic gesture. 

Zach Moller, senior director of the economic program for Third Way, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, said resolutions can draw attention to an issue but in and of themselves, they don’t have the ability to hold lawmakers accountable.

“It’s better than a press release, but it is not impactful as some sort of forcing mechanism or some sort of legislation that would actually establish that,” Moller told The Center Square. 

Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., recently introduced a bipartisan companion resolution in the Senate, and the House Committee on the Budget, chaired by Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, held a hearing on the subject in March.

Arrington spoke of a more generous goal of achieving a 3% deficit-to-GDP target in the next 10 years, urging Democrats to accept the proposition as a reasonable starting point.

“Let’s agree together… as proud lawmakers of the greatest country in the world, on this framework. Then we can debate the strategies and the inputs and what dials should move in what ways,” Arrington said. 

Moller thinks it’s possible that the House resolution could pass by the end of the year, but passing enforceable legislation is “highly unlikely.” Such legislation has yet to be introduced, and Republicans and Democrats have such vastly different ideas of how to achieve fiscal responsibility that a Republican-sponsored bill wouldn’t likely receive the bipartisan support it needs to pass the Senate. 

Moller is more confident that Congress can make progress toward shared goals like a smaller deficit-to-GDP target if the upcoming midterm elections result in a divided government.

“[If] we have a divided government, I don’t know how the conversations around fiscal responsibility will evolve… I have greater hope for something like a fiscal commission to be set up in divided government than I do in one-party control,” Moller said.

Brandon Arnold, vice president of the National Taxpayers Union, doesn’t share Moller’s optimism. Arnold thinks, like Republicans say, that cutting government spending is critical to restoring the country’s fiscal health and would have to be part of any solution dealing with the debt. And he thinks that the political will doesn’t exist in Congress right now.

Kurt Couchman, senior fellow in fiscal policy for Americans for Prosperity, said he thinks Congress will adopt deficit targets, but the timing is hard to predict.

“The question is whether Congress will adopt them before or after a crisis,” Couchman told The Center Square. “Congress should enact budget targets and fix the process soon, but the timeline for achieving meaningful change is unknowable. The best we can do is to lay the groundwork so solutions are ready when windows of opportunity open.”

US President Donald Trump announced the dramatic rescue Sunday of a downed airman whose fighter jet crashed over Iran last week, but Iran says the mission was "foiled". 

The facts remain shrouded in the fog of war, while social media was immediately flooded with misleading or fake images. 

Here is what we know based on public statements and media reports: 

- Who is the airman ? -

Almost nothing is known about his identity, but he was named as a "crew member officer" by US President Donald Trump, meaning he was the weapons system operator aboard the advanced F-15E fighter jet which was shot down last Friday.

The pilot was said by Trump to have been rescued by special forces in daylight on Friday after the crash in the rugged Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province of southwest Iran.

US aviators undergo so-called SERE training in the event they have to eject over hostile territory -- Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape.

They wear a combat vest which contains a radio/GPS-coded beacon to transmit their position, while they also carry water, food, first-aid material and a pistol in order to survive.

The airman was wounded after his ejection but could still walk, according to news outlet Axios, which cited a US official.

Trump initially wrote on Sunday that he "will be fine" while later adding he was "seriously wounded."

- How did the rescue mission unfold? -

Iranian authorities had immediately urged local people and tribesmen to join security forces in searching for the airman last Friday, realising the potential political and military value of capturing him alive.

That had sparked a race over the weekend in mountainous terrain, with images posted on social media of US aircraft and helicopters flying low over Iran as part of search-and-rescue operations.

The airman managed to keep himself hidden and at one point hiked up a 2,100-metre (7,000-foot) ridgeline, according to The New York Times. 

The US intelligence agency the CIA helping to locate him and launched a "deception campaign" aimed at convincing Iranian authorities that he had already been found, the newspaper added. 

Axios cited an official who said the airman had been "inside a mountain crevice, invisible but for (the) CIA's capabilities." 

The extraction operation launched Sunday involved "dozens of aircraft", according to Trump, and hundreds of special operations troops, including Navy SEAL Team 6 commandos, US media reports said.

The Navy commandos, best-known for taking part in the 2011 operation to kill Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, were tasked with extracting the airman, while US attack aircraft provided cover, the New York Times added, citing unnamed officials.

The airman was rescued as Iranian forces converged on the spot, with US forces firing their weapons to keep them at bay, reports say. 

Trump claimed no American lives were lost.

- What does Iran say? -

Iran's military claims the US operation was "completely foiled", but has not given a full account of events. 

Military spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari told state media that US forces had used an abandoned airport in southern Isfahan province, which lies to the northwest of the area where the airman ejected. 

He said the aircraft had been taking part in "a deception and escape mission... under the pretext of recovering the pilot of a downed aircraft". 

Iranian state media broadcast images of the charred wreckage of what appears to be a plane in a desert area, while officials claimed that two C-130 military transport planes and two Black Hawk helicopters had been destroyed. 

In the footage, two charred propellers and engines can be clearly seen. 

The Wall Street Journal and other US media, citing unnamed officials, reported that American forces had blown up two C-130s after they became stuck for unknown reasons.

The governor of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province told Mehr news agency that five people had been killed and seven wounded in the Kuh-e Siah area in an attack.

But the governor, Iraj Kazemijou, said reports that US forces had landed there were "completely false and have no validity".

Iranian media likened the rescue operation to the US military's disastrous Operation Eagle Claw in 1980, an attempt to rescue more than 50 Americans at the US embassy in Tehran. 

A US A-10 ground attack aircraft was also reportedly downed on Friday, with US media saying the pilot managed to eject and was rescued in nearby Kuwait.

In his message on Sunday, Trump also referred to another operation inside Iran to rescue "another brave pilot ... which we did not confirm, because we did not want to jeopardize our second rescue operation."

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Rory McIlroy still remembers the surge of emotion that followed his victory at last year's Masters, a moment that ended a decade-long wait and completed golf's career Grand Slam.

The Northern Irishman captured his fifth major title at Augusta National, dropping to his knees after holing a short birdie putt in a playoff to secure the green jacket.

"It was my best-ever chance to win the grand slam," McIlroy said. "I don't think there was any round of golf I had played before that can compare to the feelings and emotions I went through that Sunday."

A year later, the memories remain vivid, but McIlroy's attention has turned back to the challenge ahead as he prepares to return to Augusta as the defending champion next week.

His breakthrough came after years of close calls and constant questions about whether he could finally win the Masters. 

The victory ended a 10-year major drought and lifted the weight of expectation that had followed him each April.

After starting with a double bogey then recovering with four birdies in the next nine holes, McIlroy battled England's Justin Rose down the stretch and made bogey at 18 to force a playoff.

Back at 18, McIlroy dropped a wedge shot three feet from the hole and sank the birdie putt for an emotional triumph that brought a green jacket and a night of joyful celebration.

"It was a wonderful night," said McIlroy. "It carried on for a couple days."

That next morning, McIlroy awoke feeling "a little foggy," he admitted. "I think I woke up and I just had to make sure that it wasn't a dream. People talk about those pinch-me moments and it really was like, did that really happen?"

It did. The proof was the green jacket in his luggage when he packed and flew home.

"It was so much fun to get home and have dinner at home and wear this jacket and just put the coverage on, watch the highlights," McIlroy said. "It's the best. You have that immense, like, satisfaction and you reflect on the journey."

Golf fans that had watched McIlroy grow up celebrated right along with him.

"The reception I got after I won, and just how happy everyone was for me," McIlroy said. "Everyone in some way felt invested in it.

"I'm doing this for myself. I've had these goals since I was a little boy but the fact other people are invested in that journey of mine obviously makes me incredibly grateful, just makes me take a step back and appreciate everything that I've done in my career."

McIlroy said aggressive play has been crucial at Augusta, right down to his winning putt after a par miss on the same hole minutes earlier.

"The only difference with the three-footer in the playoff rather than the five-footer in regulation is I was sure of the line in the playoff. I was a little bit indecisive with my line or my read in regulation," McIlroy said.

"When I look back at the round, when I was aggressive and when I played aggressively, I was rewarded and I played well.

"There's probably a lesson in there somewhere of not taking your foot off the gas."

McIlroy has released a documentary on his long wait to win the Masters.

"It's a moment in time. It's a snapshot," McIlroy said. "It's not about my entire life. It's just about my journey to try to complete the slam. I think it would have been a miss to not document it in some way, and we felt like this was the best approach."

McIlroy had seven top-10 finishes at the Masters before finally winning. In the 10-year gap between major wins he had 21 top-10 finishes, four of them runner-up efforts.

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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was concerned about planned concerts in London by US rapper Kanye West, who has a history of antisemitic outbursts and released a song called "Heil Hitler".

The disgraced 48-year-old hip-hop star -- now known as Ye -- is due to play three nights at the Wireless festival in London in July as part of a European comeback tour.

Starmer told The Sun newspaper on Saturday it was "deeply concerning Kanye West has been booked to perform at Wireless despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism".

He added that "antisemitism in any form is abhorrent and must be confronted firmly".

Event sponsor Pepsi told The Independent news website on Sunday that it had withdrawn its sponsorship. Parent company PepsiCo did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.

The planned appearances, announced by festival organisers on social media last month, had prompted criticism from Jewish organisations and London Mayor Sadiq Khan. 

And West's European tour has already proved controversial, with the mayor of Marseille in France saying he was "not welcome" for a concert there in June.

West has expressed regret over his antisemitic rants, which he blamed on his bipolar disorder. 

In May 2025 he released a song called "Heil Hitler" to mark the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. 

The song was banned by major streaming platforms.

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(The Center Square) – A second American pilot who was shot down over Iran on Friday has been rescued in a daring overnight operation.

“We got him!” President Donald Trump exclaimed in a Truth Social Post.

Trump, who remained working from the Oval Office Saturday, announced in the early morning hours Sunday by describing the mission as the most “daring” in American history.

The president didn’t identify the officer by name or branch, but underscored that the rescued pilot is a “highly respected colonel” and is “safe and sound!” despite sustaining injuries.

Trump provided a glimpse into the complex mission, which reportedly included the deployment of special operations forces to execute the dangerous operation. The president indicated that the military was tracking the pilot’s location in the lead-up to the rescue.

“This brave Warrior was behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran, being hunted down by our enemies, who were getting closer and closer by the hour, but was never truly alone because his Commander in Chief, Secretary of War, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and fellow Warfighters were monitoring his location 24 hours a day, and diligently planning for his rescue. At my direction, the U.S. Military sent dozens of aircraft, armed with the most lethal weapons in the World, to retrieve him. He sustained injuries, but he will be just fine,” the president wrote.

Trump remarked on the fact that neither his administration nor the Pentagon confirmed the second rescue operation that took place shortly after the crash of the fighter jet.

“This miraculous Search and Rescue Operation comes in addition to a successful rescue of another brave Pilot, yesterday, which we did not confirm, because we did not want to jeopardize our second rescue operation. This is the first time in military memory that two U.S. Pilots have been rescued, separately, deep in Enemy Territory,” the president explained. “WE WILL NEVER LEAVE AN AMERICAN WARFIGHTER BEHIND! The fact that we were able to pull off both of these operations, without a SINGLE American killed, or even wounded, just proves once again, that we have achieved overwhelming Air Dominance and Superiority over the Iranian skies.”

In a separate post, Trump described the officer as having been seriously wounded, who had been rescued from “deep inside the mountains of Iran” in broad daylight.

“The Iranian military was looking hard, in big numbers, and getting close,” the president confirmed. “This type of raid is seldom attempted because of the danger to ‘man and equipment.’ It just doesn’t happen! The second raid came after the first one, where we rescued the pilot in broad daylight, also unusual, spending several hours over Iran. An AMAZING show of bravery and talent by all!”

Trump concluded his Easter morning post by announcing that he will host a news conference in the Oval Office Monday afternoon, featuring military representatives.

After a difficult start to the NCAA Championships, Mizzou senior diver Collier Dyer made the adjustments he needed. By Friday night, he stood atop the podium as a national champion. 

“It wasn’t a perfect meet,” Dyer said of his performance. “It is rarely a perfect meet, but it was just really unique and a God-given moment for sure.”

Dyer’s title in the 3-meter springboard marked the culmination of a senior season that nearly ended before it reached its peak. 

He tore his rotator cuff midseason, forcing him to miss key meets and putting his postseason availability in doubt. Missouri coach Andrew Grevers and his staff considered redshirting Dyer to preserve an additional year of eligibility.

Dyer missed the Mizzou Invite and spent weeks recovering, with questions lingering around whether he would be able to compete. He spoke with his doctors and surgeons and, ultimately, he felt healthy enough to return and finish his collegiate career.

Once back, he established momentum with strong performances at the Southeastern Conference Championships and zone competition, positioning himself for a national run.

Even with his success at the SEC Championships, the NCAA Championships did not begin as planned. After a disappointing first day, Dyer and diving coach Kyle Bogner focused on resetting Dyer's approach, discussing adjustments that extended beyond technique.

The shift came the following morning. A message from another coach helped reframe Dyer's mindset, allowing him to move away from relying solely on his own ability and compete with more freedom.

Grevers recalled speaking with Dyer the morning of finals and encouraging him to enjoy the moment. Grevers saw the change almost immediately.

“He was standing tall," Grevers said. "His posture was good. He looked happy. I had a good feeling.”

During the finals, Missouri stayed engaged throughout the competition, reacting to each dive as Dyer worked through the event. The competition stretched over several hours, requiring consistency and composure across every round.

“The swim team and coaches were all there. … We were going nuts,” Grevers said.

Dyer established himself as a contender early and maintained that position. Grevers said he separated himself from the field from the opening dive and never lost control of the competition.

For Bogner, the result reflected years of steady development.

“It’s been a great honor to coach Collier the last four years,” Bogner said. “When it comes together at the very end, it’s pretty exciting.”

Dyer’s success was not immediate. He began diving later than many elite competitors, picking up the sport during his freshman year of high school while deciding on a third sport for the spring season. What followed was a steady climb built on repetition, observation and patience.

He was drawn to the adrenaline of the sport and the process of learning new skills. After joining a club team, he continued to develop by studying other divers and refining his technique over time. That long-term approach became a defining part of his career.

Dyer has always believed in “the long game,” focusing on steady growth rather than chasing immediate results. "Just enjoying the journey has gotten me further than seeking a destination would have,” Dyer said.

That mindset carried him into his role within the Missouri program. Beyond competition, he became a consistent leader, sharing insight with teammates across both swimming and diving.

Grevers said Dyer regularly speaks to the team and provides guidance to athletes across the program.

“He shares knowledge and wisdom with every athlete,” Grevers said.

Bogner offered another interesting perspective, reflecting on his own growth as a coach. He said that working with Dyer has pushed him to improve.

“The thing about coaching great athletes is you have to get better,” Bogner said. “It has made me better as a coach.”

Becoming an NCAA champion was a major milestone, but Dyer emphasized the importance of continuing to improve regardless of outcome and maintaining perspective through both success and setbacks.

He now turns his focus to the next stage of his career. He is scheduled to compete in the Canada Cup and plans to continue training through the spring. After graduation, he is considering relocating to pursue professional diving opportunities, including emerging programs in California.

“California has a really cool professional diving infrastructure. … I’m excited to be an early part of that,” Dyer said.

He also hopes to continue competing on the international stage, with long-term goals that include world championships and the Olympics. Regardless of the results, his focus remains on the process and continued improvement.

For Missouri, Dyer’s championship represents a significant step forward for the program.

Bogner said the win can serve as a springboard for continued growth, while Grevers emphasized the program’s goal of returning to national prominence.

Dyer’s season included injury, uncertainty and a challenging start at the national meet. But by the end of the week, he delivered when it mattered most.

He leaves Missouri as a national champion, the result of a season that nearly never reached that point due to injury and uncertainty. 

The British royal family on Sunday attended a traditional Easter service at Windsor, making a show of family unity in their first appearance together since the arrest of the former Prince Andrew, whose family did not attend.

On a sunny morning, King Charles III and his wife Camilla arrived at St George's Chapel within the grounds of Windsor Castle, west of London, with a group of other royals that the BBC described as "slightly slimmed down".

The family appeared together in public for the first time since the former Prince Andrew was arrested in February following revelations in the released messages of US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Charles, 77, is to make a state visit to the United States later this month, his first as monarch. 

Prince William and his wife Catherine, the Princess of Wales, wearing a beige suit and hat, attended the service with their three children. The family smiled and waved at wellwishers as they entered the chapel. 

Catherine attended the Matins service for the first time in three years. She was absent in 2024 as she underwent cancer treatment and her family opted not to attend last year's event.

Also present were Charles' brother, Prince Edward and his son and Charles's sister Princess Anne with her husband.

The Epstein files have exposed the convicted financier's longstanding ties with Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, who has also been stripped of her Duchess of York title. 

Neither attended this year's Easter service, while Andrew and Ferguson, who lived together until recently despite being divorced, made a surprise appearance at last year's event.

Their daughters, Eugenie and Beatrice, said ahead of the service that they had made alternative plans, although a royal source told AFP that they would be seen at future family celebrations.

Eugenie and Beatrice, who retain their princess titles, attended a Christmas church service last year without their parents.

Prince Edward went to see his isolated brother at Sandringham estate in eastern England this week, becoming the first royal to visit Andrew in two months, The Sun tabloid reported. 

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Showcasing phallus-shaped portable shrines and pink penis candies, Japan's annual fertility festival teemed Sunday with tourists, couples and families elated by its open display of sex.

The spring "Kanamara" celebration near Tokyo features colourfully dressed worshippers carrying a trio of giant phallic shaped objects as they parade through the street with glee.

The festival as legend has it honours a local blacksmith in the Edo Period (1603-1868) who forged an iron dildo to break the teeth of a sharp-toothed demon inhabiting a woman's vagina that had been castrating young men on their wedding nights.

Today a three-foot (one-metre) black steel phallus sits in the courtyard of the Kanayama Shrine honouring the Shinto deities of fertility, childbirth and protection from sexually transmitted infections.

Over the centuries, sex workers pilgrimaged to the shrine to seek its powers of protection before the festival evolved into a broader fertility rite seeking to destigmatise sex.

"I hope the festival can help disabuse people of the notion that sex is a bad, dirty thing," Hiroyuki Nakamura, chief priest at a shrine that hosts the festival, told AFP.

In February, preliminary data released by the health ministry showed that Japan's birth rate had fallen for the 10th straight year in 2025.

A total of 705,809 babies were born that year in Japan down 2.1 percent from 2024.

The data includes births to Japanese nationals in Japan, foreign births in Japan and babies born to Japanese nationals overseas.

The open-minded, all-inclusive annual event attracts everyone from tourists to families with children and LGBTQ supporters sporting rainbow outfits.

"It feels like it's more than just ha-ha sex. There's a whole understanding behind it," Jimmy Hsu, 32, a tourist from San Francisco, told AFP, referring to the event's underlying fertility theme.

- 'Everyone is embracing it' -

Despite the penis-themed T-shirts, toys and candies galore, "I think by American standards, this is so wholesome", he said. 

The view was echoed by Julie Ibach, 58.  

"There was one little boy who had two penis stickers, and he's just going back and forth and we just were laughing," the tourist from San Diego said.  

"Everyone is embacing it and making fun of it," she said. 

"You don't see that anywhere else."

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Before war erupted in the Middle East, fisherman Peter Bruce spent about £5,000 ($6,600) on diesel to trawl the North Sea for haddock and cod, the main species used in fish and chips.

"Now, the last trip we spent about £10,000," he told AFP, despite his crew reducing the speed of the boat to save fuel.

Bruce, whose boat, Budding Rose, is based in the Scottish port of Peterhead, estimates the extra costs over a year could exceed £100,000.

It was not yet clear whether the rise in energy prices would have an immediate effect on the price of fish, Bruce said. But he is worried that the hike in fuel prices will hit customer demand for the classic British meal that was already facing challenges on numerous fronts.

Bruce's catch is sold at auction in Peterhead before being transported around Britain and abroad. He fears that customers "will stop buying so much fish and chips and they'll stop going out for meals so much".

- Classic dish -

The classic recipe for fish and chips -- white fish deep-fried in batter, chips, and mushy peas, often with tartare sauce on the side -- dates back to the 1860s. 

Fish and chip shops usually serve nothing else and most are take-away.

There were around 10,500 fish and chip shops in the UK in 2024 -- roughly the same as a decade earlier -- according to Seafish, a public body supporting the industry. 

This was more than the total number of outlets of the nine main fastfood dining brands -- including KFC, McDonald's and Domino's Pizza, it boasted.

Easter is a particularly busy time for the sector since many Britons eat fish on the Good Friday holiday.

Andrew Crook, who owns a fish and chip shop in Lancashire, northwestern England, told AFP the number of customers can more than double on Good Fridays.

Nonetheless, "we're definitely under pressure," said Crook, president of the National Federation of Fish Fryers.

He blamed several factors.

"We've got extremely high fish prices, we've got energy prices; wages go up continually," he lamented.

The war in the Middle East, now in its second month, caused a record monthly rise in petrol and diesel prices in the United Kingdom in March was caused by the conflict, according to data from the Royal Automobile Club (RAC), a British auto services company.

But there are other difficulties.

- Oil, fertiliser... -

Stricter fishing rules to conserve species, as well as the war in Ukraine -- Russia previously supplied 30 to 40 percent of the country's fish -- had weakened the sector in Britain already, says Crook, and forced it to raise prices.

Another concern is the soaring price of fertilisers and its impact on production of potatoes and oil seeds. Some 30 percent of the world's fertiliser normally passes through the Strait of Hormuz, which is now almost closed.

Back in 2022, small businesses were worried about a shortage of sunflower oil, since Ukraine was the world's leading exporter of the seeds; now, they are increasingly concerned about the energy cost of heating their cooking oils.

Crook, who sells fish and chips for £11.45 ($15) per portion, said businesses are looking at options to avoid putting up prices, such as choosing less costly fish species like pollack from North America and South African hake, and reducing portions.

"We do try to cushion consumers," he said, adding that he does not want to raise his prices for now.

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More than 50 years after humans first flew around the Moon, Artemis astronauts will repeat the feat on Monday and use the most basic instrument to study it: their eyes. 

Despite the technological advancements since the Apollo missions, NASA still relies on the eyesight of its astronauts to learn more about the Moon. 

"The human eye is basically the best camera that could ever or will ever exist," Kelsey Young, the lead scientist for the Artemis 2 mission, told AFP.

"The number of receptors in the human eye far outweighs what a camera is able to do." 

Although modern cameras may be superior to human eyesight in some respects, "the human eye is really good at color, and it's really good at context, and it's also really good at photometric observations," Young said.

Humans can understand how lighting changes surface details, like how angled lighting reveals texture but reduces visible color.

In just the blink of an eye, humans can detect a subtle color shift and understand how lighting changes the contours of a landscape like the Moon's surface, details which are scientifically useful but difficult to ascertain from photos or videos. 

Artemis 2 astronaut Victor Glover, who pilots the Orion spacecraft, said before liftoff this week that eyes were a "magical instrument."

- Field scientists -

To ensure they made the most of their proximity to the Moon, the four Artemis 2 crew members underwent more than two years of training.

Young said the goal was to turn the astronauts into "field scientists" via a combination of classroom lessons, geological expeditions to Iceland and Canada, and multiple simulated flybys of the Moon, just like the mission they are on.

The three American astronauts -- commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Glover and mission specialist Christina Koch -- along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, all had to memorize the Moon's "Big 15," or the 15 features of the Moon that will allow them to orient themselves.

Using an inflatable Moon globe, they practiced seeing how the angle of the sun changed the colors and textures of the lunar surface, honing their observation and note-taking skills for the big moment.

"I can tell you, they are excited and they are ready," Young said with a smile.

- 'About the size of a basketball' -

The Artemis astronauts' mission is to study certain lunar sites and phenomena as part of 10 objectives chosen by NASA and ranked in priority order based on scientific interest.

During the Moon flyby, which will last for several hours, the crew will have to observe the celestial body with their naked eyes, along with cameras they have on board.

Noah Petro, head of NASA's planetary geology lab, told AFP that the Moon will look to the astronauts "about the size of a basketball held at arm's length."

"The question I'm most interested in is, are they going to be able to see color on the lunar surface," Petro said.

"I don't mean rainbow colors, but you know, dark browns or tan colors because that tells us something about the composition, and that tells us something about the history of the Moon."

David Kring of the Lunar and Planetary Institute told AFP he is not expecting any earth-shattering discoveries because of the multiple lunar probes and high-resolution images of the Moon taken since the Apollo missions.

Nevertheless, "having astronauts describing what they're seeing... That is an occurrence that at least two generations of people on Earth have never heard before," he said.

The Artemis 2 flyby will be broadcast live by NASA, save for a period for when the spacecraft is behind the moon.

"Just listening to their practice descriptions in the mission simulations... It brings chills up my arms," Young said.

"I am absolutely confident that these four people are going to deliver some incredible descriptions."

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