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Starbucks is fully embracing AI, launching a beta app in ChatGPT this week that lets a chatbot choose your latte or refresher.

Users on ChatGPT can access the app by starting a prompt with "@Starbucks." They can then describe the mood they're in or want to be in — energetic, cozy, etc. — or simply ask the AI to pick something that matches their tastes, like non-dairy drinks or less caffeinated beverages.

In the announcement on Starbucks' website, the coffee chain also suggested users upload a photo to ChatGPT that "captures your vibe," and the AI will choose a drink to complement it.

Credit: Starbucks

Some of the prompts suggested by Starbucks include "@Starbucks, I want something bright to start my morning,” and "@Starbucks, I’m craving an afternoon boost that isn’t too sweet."

After choosing a drink and a store to retrieve it, users will be directed to the Starbucks app or Starbucks.com to pay and complete the order.

SEE ALSO: Florida man uses ChatGPT to sell his home. This is a real headline.

Starbucks considers the beta app in ChatGPT its newest way to encourage customers to try new beverages or, as they put it in their press release, "using AI to support something very human: helping you discover a drink you’ll love."

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

As a leader, your day fills up fast with requests: questions, approvals, asks for feedback and support. Some are easy to handle. Others immediately frustrate you. When that irritation spikes, it’s tempting to blame the volume or the people asking. But the real challenge isn’t the requests themselves—it’s how you interpret and respond to them.  Name the need. Every request carries a deeper longing. Before […]

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If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

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If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

Flies a plane.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answer

PILOT

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Facade.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 16, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

FRONT

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Cabin.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for April 16 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 16, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

LODGE

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Downward.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

SOUTH

Final Hurdle hint

Nerdy.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

GEEKY

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

It's the last day of the lunar cycle, a roughly 29.5-day period in which the Moon orbits Earth, which means today is the New Moon. This is the point where the Moon sits between Earth and the Sun, so its sunlit side is facing away from us.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Friday, April 17, the Moon phase is New Moon. Tonight, 0% of the moon will be lit up, according to NASA's Daily Moon Guide.

Unsurprisingly, with 0% of the moon illuminated, there's nothing for us to see tonight.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon is predicted to take place on May 1, the first of two in May.

What are Moon phases?

NASA states that the Moon takes about 29.5 days to orbit Earth, during which it passes through eight distinct phases. We always see the same side of the Moon, but the amount of sunlight reflecting off it changes as it moves along its orbit, creating the familiar pattern of full, partial, and crescent shapes. These shifting appearances are called lunar phases, and there are eight in total:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will test your knowledge of multiple sports, and you'll need some basic knowledge of soccer.

As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections: Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. The sports Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words, and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake — players get up to four mistakes before the game ends.

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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Over the plate

• Green: Offense

• Blue: All in the family

• Purple: Home on the ____

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Things an Umpire Calls

• Green: An Attacking Player in Soccer

• Blue: MLB Father-Son Duos

• Purple: ____ Range

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections: Sports Edition #571 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Things an Umpire Calls — BALL, OUT, SAFE, STRIKE

• An Attacking Player in Soccer — FORWARD, NO. 9, STRIKER, TARGET MAN

• MLB Father-Son Duos — ALOU, BONDS, FIELDER, GRIFFEY

• ____ Range — 3-POINT, DRIVING, LONG, MID

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.

Released in August 2025, Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.

Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move on to the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.

How to play Pips

If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity with how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 17, 2026

The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible — and common — for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.

Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:

• Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.

• Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.

• Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.

• Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.

• Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for April 17, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for April 17 Pips

Greater Than (4): The domino half in this purple space must have more than 4 pips. The answer is 5-3, placed vertically.

Number (2): The domino half in this red space must have 2 pips. The answer is 2-3, placed vertically.

Equal (6): Every domino half in this light blue space must have 6 pips. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically; 0-6, placed vertically.

Equal (5): Every domino half in this yellow space must have 5 pips. The answer is 5-5, placed vertically.

Less Than (4): The domino half in this dark blue space must have less than 4 pips. The answer is 2-3, placed vertically.

Number (2): The domino half in this green space must have 2 pips. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for April 17 Pips

Number (7): Everything in this purple space must add up to 7. The answer is 1-5, placed horizontally; 2-0, placed vertically.

Equal (3): Every domino half in this red space must have 3 pips. The answer is 3-3, placed vertically.

Less Than (2): Everything in this light blue space must add up to be less than 2. The answer is 0-0, placed horizontally.

Equal (5): Every domino half in this yellow space must have 5 pips. The answer is 5-4, placed vertically; 5-3, placed horizontally.

Number (3): The domino half in this dark blue space must have 3 pips. The answer is 5-3, placed horizontally.

Number (0): The domino half in this green space must have 0 pips. The answer is 2-0, placed vertically.

Equal (4): Every domino half in this purple space must have 4 pips. The answer is 4-6, placed vertically; 5-4, placed vertically.

Greater Than (4): The domino half in this red space must have more than 4 pips. The answer is 4-6, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for April 17 Pips

Number (5): The domino half in this purple space must have 5 pips. The answer is 5-2, placed horizontally.

Equal (2): Every domino half in this red space must have 2 pips. The answer is 5-2, placed horizontally; 2-4, placed horizontally.

Number (5): Everything in this light blue space must add up to 5. The answer is 2-4, placed horizontally; 1-4, placed vertically.

Less Than (3): Everything in this yellow space must add up to be less than 3. The answer is 1-1, placed vertically.

Does Not Equal: Every domino half in this dark blue space must have a different number of pips. The answer is 1-4, placed vertically; 6-5, placed horizontally; 3-3, placed horizontally; and 5-0, placed vertically.

Number (10): Everything in this green space must add up to 10. The answer is 6-5, placed horizontally; 5-1, placed vertically.

Number (4): The domino half in this purple space must have 4 pips. The answer is 4-5, placed horizontally.

Number (8): Everything in this red space must add up to 8. The answer is 4-5, placed horizontally; 3-3, placed horizontally.

Number (2): Every domino half in this light blue space must have 2 pips. The answer is 5-1, placed vertically; 1-2, placed vertically.

Less Than (2): Everything in this yellow space must add up to be less than 2. The answer is 5-0, placed vertically; 0-4, placed horizontally.

Number (6): Everything in this dark blue space must add up to 6. The answer is 0-4, placed horizontally; 1-2, placed vertically.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you're a musician.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for April 17, 2026 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Crop details

• Green: Prevalent

• Blue: Grand instrument

• Purple: Beverages

Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Vegetable parts

• Green: Prevailing

• Blue: Parts of a piano

• Purple: Second halves of drink names

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #1041 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Vegetable parts: BULB, LEAF, ROOT, STEM

• Prevailing: COMMON, DOMINANT, GENERAL, POPULAR

• Parts of a piano: HAMMER, KEY, PEDAL, STRING

• Second halves of drink names: SODA, STORMY, TAN, TONIC

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for April 17, 2026

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're a pescatarian.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 17, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Shell company

The words are related to the sea.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe marine life with coverings.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Mollusk.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

NYT Strands word list for April 17

• Limpet

• Clam

• Oyster

• Conch

• Mollusk

• Scallop

• Mussel

• Abalone

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you love Disney princesses.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 17, 2026 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for April 17, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A beauty.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letters E and L appear twice.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter B.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

BELLE

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints. Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.

The Pitt Season 2 is coming to an end, but if you're already hoping to head right back into the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center, don't worry. Unlike most streaming shows nowadays, The Pitt probably won't take multiple years to come back for Season 3.

SEE ALSO: How 'The Pitt's cinematographer created the show's unique immersive style

In an almost unprecedented move for the streaming age, there was just one year between The Pitt's Season 1 and Season 2 premieres. (Both came out in early January.) If the show follows the same production schedule as it did between Seasons 1 and 2, it's highly likely that there will be a similar wait time for the next season, meaning viewers can expect Season 3 in early January of 2027.

Luckily, The Pitt does appear to be adhering to the same production schedule this time around. Ahead of The Pitt's PaleyFest LA event, creator R. Scott Gemmill told Variety that Season 3 was set to begin filming this June. Filming for Season 2 kicked off in June of 2025, which tees Season 3 up for the same production timeline.

When will The Pitt Season 3 take place?

While viewers will have to wait a little under a year between seasons, far less time will pass between The Pitt Seasons 2 and 3. There were roughly 10 months between Season 1 and Season 2, which takes place on July 4, 2026. However, at PaleyFest, Wyle told USA Today that Season 3 would be taking place in November, meaning there will only be a four-month time jump between seasons.

"It will be pre-Thanksgiving, moving into colder weather," Wyle said to USA Today. "The holidays are approaching. The weather's changing. People are turning on their heaters for the first time."

So get ready for mentions of The Pitt crew's family drama heading into Thanksgiving, as well as potential cold weather accidents. Whatever happens, I'm ready for Thanksgiving in January of 2027.

The Pitt Season 2 is now streaming on HBO Max.

Iyaz Akhtar looks into what happened to Google’s smart home ecosystem. Google’s move toward Gemini appears to have disrupted Google Home’s once smooth experience. The result is a system that feels less reliable and more inconsistent. Here’s what’s going wrong right now.

Stop your smart TV from tracking your viewing habits by disabling Automatic Content Recognition. This guide shows how to find and turn off these hidden privacy settings on an Amazon Fire TV. It’s a quick way to limit data tracking and improve privacy.

Google is warning that advances in quantum computing could make it easier to break the encryption that protects cryptocurrencies. The concern is that quantum hackers may be able to crack current security systems much sooner than expected. This could put crypto assets and blockchain-based systems at risk.

PCMag's camera expert Jim Fisher tests the budget Apple MacBook Neo with 8K video, RAW photos, and exports. The goal is to see how it handles real creative workloads and whether it’s a viable option for creative work.

SAVE $100: As of April 16, shop the DJI Flip 4K drone for just $539 at Amazon. That saves you $100 off its $639 list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: DJI DJI Flip $539
$639 Save $100   Get Deal

Getting outside this spring and summer? If you're looking to capture your adventures from above and in 4K then you'll need the right equipment, and you don't need to be a professional either. DJI makes it easy to get started with a drone, and since 4K drones may be an investment, it's worth it to shop the deals.

Right now, you can grab the DJI Flip drone for just $539. That saves you $100 off its list price of $639. According to camelcamelcamel, the DJI Flip's record low is $509, meaning it's just $30 from its lowest price ever.

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The DJI Flip is a lightweight drone, weighing just 249 grams. You won't have to worry about regulations either as it doesn't require FAA or Remote ID registration. It comes with a two-screen remote controller so you can see your footage as you capture it. The Flip films in 4K at 60fps, plus it features subject tracking so you'll always stay in frame.

Shop the DJI Flip for just $539 at Amazon now.

Taylor Sheridan is hanging up his cowboy hat and entering the video game world for a new project at Paramount. Sheridan is best known for creating the Yellowstone empire and all of its spin-offs. However, Sheridan's new movie will be an adaptation of Call of Duty.

The Android 17 beta releases are really heating up now. After a month between Beta 2 and Beta 3, Android 17 Beta 4 is now available just three weeks later. This is the last “scheduled” beta release, meaning the stable update is only a few months away.

Astronauts from NASA's first crewed Artemis flight largely sidestepped a question about the diversity of the future astronauts assigned to the upcoming moon-landing mission. 

Speaking at a news conference days after their return to Earth, the Artemis II astronauts —  Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen — were asked whether the U.S. space agency should uphold its pledge to land the first woman and first person of color on the moon, a goal NASA has recently deemphasized. 

The moment highlighted an issue NASA has avoided publicly clarifying. The Artemis program's first landing mission is expected as early as 2028.

"That's a great question," Koch told Mashable. "Our understanding of that statement was basically that the Artemis campaign as a whole will usher in an era where that is true, and that it will happen naturally because of our astronaut corps."

Though Mashable sought each astronaut's opinion, only Koch answered before the moderator moved on to another reporter's question.

SEE ALSO: A girl asks for Pluto to regain its planet status. NASA chief: We're looking into it.

Before 2025, NASA had consistently described the first Artemis lunar landing as putting the first woman and first person of color on the moon. But over the past year, that language has largely disappeared from agency materials, following a White House executive order that curtailed diversity, equity, and inclusion programs across federal agencies. The directive labeled such programs "illegal and immoral."

The Artemis II crew itself marked a milestone. The mission was the first deep-space flight not composed entirely of white men. Koch became the first woman and Glover the first Black person to travel beyond low-Earth orbit. Their assignment to the lunar flyby crew occurred in 2023, during President Joe Biden's administration. 

The Artemis II crew, clockwise: Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Jeremy Hansen, and Reid Wiseman. Credit: Josh Valcarcel

Both have downplayed the historical significance of their distinctions in past interviews, focusing instead on the technical goals of the mission. Leading up to the launch, they often wouldn't elaborate on what those "firsts" meant specifically for women and people of color.

On Thursday, however, Koch seemed confident the milestone will happen, regardless of intention.

"The fact is we don't have to try too hard to make that come true, to make that be the reality of this mission. We actually have to try harder to not make that true in the astronaut corps that we have."

"The fact is we don't have to try too hard to make that come true, to make that be the reality of this mission," she said. "We actually have to try harder to not make that true in the astronaut corps that we have."

Floating in the Orion spacecraft, the four Artemis II astronauts embrace in weightlessness. Credit: NASA

Artemis II, a roughly 10-day mission around the moon and back, was NASA's first crewed journey beyond low-Earth orbit in more than a half-century. The $4.1 billion test flight vetted the Orion spacecraft's life‑support, power, navigation, and steering systems. The mission took the capsule past Apollo‑era distances, reaching a farthest point of about 252,756 miles. 

NASA has not yet announced crews beyond Artemis II. The next mission, Artemis III, will serve as a 2027 flight demonstration for docking Orion with commercially built lunar landers while in low-Earth orbit. Artemis IV is expected to attempt the program's first lunar landing the following year. 

Agency officials have said assignments will be based on mission needs but have not addressed whether earlier commitments about representation remain in place.

The current-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee has been on the market for a few years now, and the 2026 update brings a mild refresh with sharper styling and updated tech. It still sits in that sweet spot as an American midsize SUV trying to punch into the premium space.

The first few weeks of April have kicked off the final seasons for several marquee shows. The Boys is now three episodes into its fifth and final season on Prime Video, while Hacks recently kicked off its last run on HBO Max. Elsewhere, Euphoria ended its four-year hiatus with an explosive season 3 premiere. What's great about television is that we can do it all again this weekend with a new crop of shows.