TECHNOLOGY
The role of the astronaut is in flux
MIT Technology ReviewTuesday, August 18, 2026 at 9:00 AM
RedScroll Brief

When the four astronauts on board NASA’s Artemis II swung around the moon earlier this year, they set a new record for the farthest humans have ever ventured from Earth, surpassing the distance set by Apollo 13 in 1972 by some 4,000 miles.
RedScroll Signal
- Impact
- High
- Category
- Technology
- Market relevance
- Moderate
- Why it matters
- Technology shifts change how people work, communicate, and build — often faster than policy can follow. When the four astronauts on board NASA’s Artemis II swung around the moon earlier this year, they set a new record for the farthest humans have ever ventured from Earth, surpassing the distance set by Apollo 13 in 1972 by some 4,000 miles. Secondary effects may show up in markets and supply chains linked to Role and Astronaut.
Desk copy
RedScroll Briefing
Extractive editorial brief — not a reprint of the original
What happened
When the four astronauts on board NASA’s Artemis II swung around the moon earlier this year, they set a new record for the farthest humans have ever ventured from Earth, surpassing the distance set by Apollo 13 in 1972 by some 4,000 miles.
Why it matters
Technology shifts change how people work, communicate, and build — often faster than policy can follow.
Background
MIT Technology Review reported on this under technology. RedScroll surfaces the signal with an extractive brief — not a reprint of the original article. Read the source for full reporting.
Timeline
MIT Technology Review published: The role of the astronaut is in flux
Story is in today’s RedScroll edition. Follow the original source for updates.
Economic impact
Secondary effects may show up in markets and supply chains linked to Role and Astronaut.
More on
Related stories
- The Download: the claim shaking up AI and the internet’s agent problem
MIT Technology ReviewTECHNOLOGY
- How to study a swiftly melting climate disaster
MIT Technology ReviewTECHNOLOGY
- These startups hope “blended” food will cut our appetite for red meat
MIT Technology ReviewTECHNOLOGY
- JustWatch, which tackles streaming fragmentation, launches own streaming service
Ars TechnicaTECHNOLOGY
- Meta drops the word "train" from its commercial TOS after AI backlash
Ars TechnicaTECHNOLOGY
- Gemini's Personal Intelligence is coming to cars
Ars TechnicaTECHNOLOGY
Source
MIT Technology Review
Original reporting by MIT Technology Review. RedScroll provides an extractive briefing only.