Even Astronauts Struggle with Microsoft Outlook: Artemis II Hits Email Glitch in Space

When you think of astronauts, you probably imagine them flawlessly navigating spacecraft, running complex experiments, and exploring the moon. What you probably don’t imagine is them battling Microsoft Outlook glitches. Yet, that’s exactly what’s happening on NASA’s Artemis II mission.

Launched on April 1, 2026, Artemis II set out to orbit the moon and pave the way for future lunar missions. While NASA undoubtedly prepared countless systems for the mission, it turns out even astronauts aren’t immune to everyday tech headaches. In a recent communication back to mission control, one crew member reported:

“I also see that I have two Microsoft Outlooks and neither one of those are working. If you want to remote in and check the Optimus and those two Outlooks, that would be awesome.”

It’s unclear whether the problem is directly with Outlook or another spacecraft system, but NASA is remotely troubleshooting the issue. It’s a reminder that even highly trained astronauts depend on tools that can fail at the most inconvenient times.

Fortunately, solutions may be on the horizon. Microsoft has announced plans to rebuild many of its apps as fully native Windows programs, replacing the current WebView-based apps, which are essentially web apps running inside Windows. The latest version of Outlook used by the Artemis II crew is one such WebView app, so a native rebuild could solve many of these frustrations.

Beyond individual apps, Microsoft is also improving the overall performance of Windows 11. Updates include migrating elements like the Start Menu to the WinUI3 native framework and simplifying or rolling back certain AI features. These changes aim to make Windows faster, more stable, and less prone to glitches like those encountered in orbit.

Hopefully, these updates arrive before the next lunar mission. Until then, the Artemis II crew—and IT teams at NASA—will be navigating the challenges of space, one Outlook error at a time.