'I have two Microsoft Outlooks and neither one is working': Artemis II astronauts have the most relatable complaint

• Artemis II crew reports a Microsoft software glitch
• One astronaut to Mission Control that neither of their Outlooks was working
• There's no evidence the issue impacted the mission in any meaningful way

Artemis II Mission Control, we have a problem — and it's one most every Microsoft customer can relate to. Just hours after Artemis II's spectacular launch, kicking off NASA's first moon mission in more than 50 years, the astronauts reported a Microsoft 365 tech glitch.

As the four crew members flew at 4,275mph and more than 30,000 miles from Earth, they remained in almost constant contact with NASA Mission Control. During one conversation, a mission astronaut offered this report: "I have two Microsoft Outlooks and neither one is working."

First, you can be forgiven if you're surprised that the Orion spacecraft (which was carried to space by the Artemis II mission) uses Microsoft 365 software. However, NASA has been standardized on Microsoft's suite of software and services for years, using the platform across productivity, collaboration, and, yes, communication. The agency even uses Copilot, though it's not clear if the AI has had any part in this mission.

Things are happening in a most peculiar way

Back to the non-life-threatening situation on the spacecraft…

The astronaut asks if NASA wants to "remote in and check Optimus and those two Outlooks, that would be awesome."

Mission Control clocks the issue and responds, "We will join in on your PCD and let you know when we're done."

The "Optimus" reference, by the way, was referring to a separate issue. The astronaut brought up the two Outlooks as another tech glitch to check while they're in there.

A PCD is a "Personal Computing Device," which we're guessing to be a Windows laptop or Surface computer (we guess they're using those alongside their iPhones), and, yes, just like tech support at home, the tech uses remote access to address the problem.

As for why there might be "two Microsoft Outlooks" on one device, you can blame Microsoft. A couple of years ago, Microsoft unveiled the Outlook for Windows app, essentially a renaming of the original Windows Mail app. Once installed, that app becomes just "Outlook." But Microsoft 365 customers know there's already an "Outlook" in the 365 Office suite. So, yes, a Windows system could have "two Microsoft Outlooks."

Why neither was working on one of Artemis II's mission computers is unclear, although neither Mission Control nor the astronaut sounded particularly concerned. After all, NASA uses Outlook for some communications between it and the astronauts, but not all communications, as evidenced by the audio.

The exchange was captured in the wee hours of the morning on April 2 (and witnessed by tens of thousands because NASA is livestreaming the entire mission on YouTube), still quite early in the flight, which launched roughly eight hours earlier from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

By now, we assume the systems have been rebooted, and that both Outlooks are working nominally. Of course, we're sure the Artemis II crew is just as anxious as you are to have just one Outlook — and one that's working for the duration of this historic mission.

We did reach out to Microsoft for comment and will update this post with their response.

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