Artemis II Crew and Mission: Key Facts and Significance
About the People Mentioned
Perplexity
**Perplexity AI** is an American software company founded in August 2022 by engineers Aravind Srinivas (CEO), Denis Yarats (CTO), Johnny Ho (Chief Strategy Officer), and Andy Konwinski, specializing in an AI-powered web search engine that delivers synthesized responses with real-time citations from internet sources.[1][2][3] The founders drew from experiences at OpenAI, Meta, Quora, and Databricks to address limitations in traditional search and early AI chatbots like ChatGPT, which often lacked verifiable sources.[1][2][3] Perplexity launched its flagship conversational "answer engine" on December 7, 2022, initially as a free public beta using OpenAI's GPT-3.5 and Microsoft Bing, later incorporating proprietary models based on Mistral-7B and LLaMA-2.[1][2][4] It pivoted from an earlier tool, Bird SQL, after Twitter's API changes in February 2023, focusing on direct answers over links.[1][2] Key achievements include rapid growth: 2 million monthly active users by March 2023, 10 million by January 2024, and 780 million queries processed monthly by 2025.[1][2][5] Funding milestones propelled valuations from $1 billion in April 2024 (after $165 million raised) to $14 billion in June 2025 ($500 million round), reaching $20 billion by September 2025.[3] Backed by investors like Jeff Bezos, Nvidia, and Shopify's Tobi Lutke, it introduced mobile apps, a Pro subscription, Chrome extension, and a publishers' revenue-sharing program in July 2024.[1][3][4] Recent events underscore ambition: In January 2025, Perplexity proposed merging with TikTok's U.S. operations ahead of a ban; in August 2025, it bid $34.5 billion for Google Chrome to address antitrust issues.[3] Today, Perplexity remains a leading AI search disruptor, blending LLMs like GPT-4, Claude, and Mistral for personalized, ad-free research, challenging Google with over 10 million users and unicorn status in under two years.[2][3][4][5] (Word count: 298)
About the Organizations Mentioned
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is the United States’ premier civil space agency, responsible for the nation’s civilian space program, aeronautics research, and aerospace technology development[1][2]. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., NASA operates ten major field centers across the country and employs nearly 18,000 civil servants, supported by an extensive network of contractors, academic institutions, and international partners[1][2]. Since its establishment in 1958, NASA has revolutionized humanity’s understanding of the cosmos, pioneered technological advancements, and shaped global space policy. ## History and Key Achievements NASA was created in response to the Soviet Union’s 1957 launch of Sputnik, with the goal of ensuring U.S. leadership in space exploration. It succeeded the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) and quickly became the driving force behind iconic programs such as Project Mercury (America’s first human spaceflight program), Project Gemini (which developed techniques for space rendezvous and extravehicular activity), and the Apollo program, which landed astronauts on the Moon between 1969 and 1972[1]. The agency also developed the Space Shuttle, the world’s first reusable spacecraft, and built the International Space Station (ISS), a symbol of international collaboration and scientific research[1][5]. NASA’s robotic exploration has been equally transformative, with over 1,000 uncrewed missions investigating Earth, the Moon, Mars, and beyond. The agency’s fleet of observatories—including the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope—has provided unprecedented views of the universe, from the birth of stars to the detection of exoplanets[1]. The Perseverance rover is currently searching for signs of ancient life on Mars, while New Horizons explored Pluto and the outer solar system[1]. ## Current Status and Notable Aspects Today, NASA is advancing the Artemis program, aiming to return human
