Entertainment Desk: NASA is preparing to launch the first crew of astronauts toward the moon in over 53 years with its second Artemis mission, a critical test flight in humanity's broader lunar goals as the US races to reassert leadership in space faced with growing competition from China.Three US and one Canadian astronaut are due for liftoff aboard NASA's Orion capsule and Space Launch System rocket on Wednesday for a 10-day test mission swinging around the moon and back, a winding journey taking them deeper into space than humans have ever gone before.The mission is the first crewed test flight in NASA's Artemis programme, the flagship US effort to begin regular flights to the moon, at an estimated cost of at least $93 billion since 2012. Not since Apollo 17 in 1972 have humans touched down on the moon's surface, a tricky feat NASA aims to repeat in 2028 at the rugged lunar south pole.The US is the only country to have put humans on another celestial body with its six lunar landings of the Apollo programme, driven by competition with the former Soviet Union.US officials have more recently focused on China, a formidable technological rival that has made steady progress in its own moon programme in recent years with a string of robotic lunar landings and a 2030 goal to put its own crew on the surface.ANSWERING 'THE QUESTION OF OUR LIFETIME'NASA astronaut Christina Koch, Artemis II mission specialist, on Sunday said the moon is a "witness plate" to the solar system's formation, and a stepping stone to Mars, "where we might have the most likelihood of finding evidence of past life.""Many, many countries have recognised the value that there is in exploring further into the solar system, to the moon and on to Mars," she told reporters. "They recognize that not only can we gain all these extremely tangible benefits, but that we have the opportunity to answer the question that could be the question of our lifetime, which is, are we alone?""Answering that question starts at the moon," she said. "The question is not should we go, but should we lead, or should we follow?"Through a series of increasingly advanced Artemis missions extending into the next decade, the US aims to set precedent for how others will operate and coexist on the moon's surface, where someday countries and companies can exploit rocky lunar resources and practice for much more difficult missions to Mars.The other crew members are NASA astronauts Victor Glover and Reid Wiseman, and Jeremy Hansen, who will be the first Canadian astronaut to reach the lunar vicinity.Hansen's participation was part of a 2020 agreement between NASA and the Canadian Space Agency. "It was the result of decades of contribution and strategic investment on our part that led to this participation," said Mathieu Caron, head of CSA's astronaut office, citing Canadian robotics contributions on the International Space Station.COMMERCIAL LUNAR MARKETNASA is relying on an array of companies in its moon programme, hoping to stimulate a commercial lunar market in the future, the value of which is hard to estimate, analysts say.Boeing and Northrop Grumman lead SLS and Lockheed Martin builds Orion for NASA. SpaceX and Blue Origin are developing their own landers with NASA funding, but under contracts that allow them to offer the spacecraft to other customers.A January PricewaterhouseCoopers report estimates $127 billion in revenues by 2050 from lunar surface activities, with investments potentially reaching $72 billion to $88 billion through the same period.For now, and in the near future, governments will drive companies' lunar strategies and revenue. It will be a long time before key infrastructure, such as energy and communications systems, develop to the point where commercial growth exists on the moon independently of government funding, said Akhil Rao, an economist at analysis firm Rational Futures who was a research economist at NASA.Rao, who was among the group of NASA economists and space policy staff laid off last year during the Trump administration's sweeping federal workforce cuts, said he does "not see a short-run economic value that companies would be able to derive that would allow NASA to be hands-off."The Artemis II mission will pose a greater test of NASA's Orion capsule and SLS, which conducted a similar uncrewed mission in 2022. The astronauts on board will test critical life-support systems, crew interfaces, navigation and communications.Liftoff is scheduled for Apr 1, though it could happen any day after until Apr 6, depending on weather conditions in Florida and any last-minute snags with the rocket. Thereafter, another launch window, determined largely by orbital mechanics between Earth and the moon, opens on Apr 30.Artemis III, planned for 2027, will involve the Orion capsule docking in Earth's orbit with NASA's two lunar landers - the Blue Moon system from Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and Starship from Elon Musk's Space

Business DeskStartups in the Middle East and North Africa region secured multiple funding rounds across different sectors across the beginning of April, despite ongoing market uncertainty caused by the conflict in Iran.This positive momentum continues from the record $7.5 billion raised by MENA startups in 2025, which marked a 225 percent surge compared to the previous year, according to Wamda data.Investment activity in the MENA startup ecosystem, however, slowed in March, with only 17 startups raising a total of $48.3 million, as investors reassessed the risk posed by the Iran war.This represented an 85 percent decline from February and a 62 percent drop compared to the same month in 2025, making it one of the weakest months the region has seen in recent years. The UAE maintained its position as the leading funding hub in the region, with startups raising $36.8 million across eight deals - representing the bulk of total capital invested during the month. Saudi Arabia came in second, raising $10.2 million across four transactions, with activity continuing but at notably smaller deal sizes, Wamda data showed.Maison Safqa raises $620k: Maison Safqa, a Saudi-based flash-sale platform for premium and luxury brands, has raised $620,000 in a pre-seed funding round with participation from 500 Global through the Sanabil MENA 500 Accelerator Fund and regional angel investors.In a press statement, the company announced that the fresh funding will be used to advance technology development, expand its brand, and roll out offline activations in Riyadh and Jeddah. The firm aims to achieve $2.5 million in cumulative sales within the next 18 months.  Lea Mehaweg, co-founder and CEO of Maison Safqa, said that the luxury goods market in the Gulf Cooperation Council region generated $12.8 billion in revenue in 2025, yet brands still struggle to move excess inventory without diluting their image or compromising margins."Maison Safqa was built to address this challenge by providing a controlled environment where premium and luxury brands can unlock that value while reaching the right audience," said Mehaweg.Egypt's Lucky secures $23m: Egypt-based financial technology company Lucky has announced the successful closing of a $23 million Series B funding round, including a mix of equity and debt. Founded in 2019 by Essawy, Lucky is a consumer credit platform that offers cashback, instalment plans, and flexible financing solutions.In a press statement, the company revealed that the funding round was led by existing and new investors, including Disruptech Ventures, DPI Venture Capital via Nclude fund and new strategic participation from Suez Canal Bank and OneStop. The firm added that the newly injected fund will be used to support its next phase of growth, with a focus on scaling its credit offering and expanding into North Africa. The funding is also expected to bolster its infrastructure, licensing, and regulatory readiness as it moves toward becoming a neo-banking-ready platform."Lucky has demonstrated disciplined growth, strong product-market fit, and a clear vision for inclusive digital finance. This investment supports a platform that is well-positioned to be one of the leading players in the next phase of consumer credit and neo-banking in the region," said Mohamed Farouk, chairman of Lucky's board.Ayman Essawy, CEO of Lucky, said that the round would allow the company to scale responsibly, invest in infrastructure, and deepen its impact as regulators unlock digital onboarding and modern payment frameworks across Egypt and the region.ZSystems raises $1.65m: Morocco-based retail B2B2C marketplace ZSystems has secured $1.65 million in a seed funding round led by Azur Innovation Management. The round also saw participation from MNF Ventures and Witamax, along with new investment from Harambeans Prosperity Fund. Founded in 2022 by Samer Choumar, Meriem Benabad, Youssef Haddouch, Reda Nebri, and Youssef Drafate, the startup has developed a digital platform that connects brands, wholesalers, and retailers.In a press statement, the company revealed that the latest round brings total funding to $2.7 million, following a $1.5 million pre-seed round backed by MNF Ventures, Witamax, CASHPLUS Ventures, and Kalys Ventures.The fresh capital will fuel the company's ongoing product development, platform growth, and deeper market penetration as ZSystems continues its mission to modernize B2B commerce across the region.Aramco Ventures backs Via Separations in $36m round: Saudi-based Aramco Ventures joined a $36 million funding round for US-based deeptech startup Via Separations, alongside Climate Investment and Marathon Petroleum.Via Separations specializes in advanced membrane filtration technology for industrial chemical separations, and will use the funding to accelerate the deployment of its modular filtration platform into the refining and chemical sectors."At Aramco Ventures, we invest in differentiated technologies that can deliver clear operational value at scale," said Tibor Toth, senior investment director at the organization.He added: "Via Separations' modular platform addresses a critical step in industrial processing and has strong potential to enhance efficiency and unlock additional capacity within existing refining and chemical assets."ElGoat raises $266kSaudi-based sports tech firm ElGoat has successfully raised $266,000 in a seed funding round led by Trigon, reaching a valuation of $2.66 million.The fresh funding will be used to accelerate product development, drive user acquisition, and support regional expansion as ElGoat aims to capitalize on the rapidly growing sports gaming market across the Middle East and North Africa region, the company said in a press statement. ElGoat was founded in March by Mohammed Al-Munajem. The startup offers a knowledge-based football prediction platform that aims to revolutionize how fans interact with the sport, moving beyond passive viewership.The platform covers major football leagues such as the English Premier League and the Saudi ROSHN League. It features a scoring system that rewards users for both basic and advanced football knowledge.