Prime Highlights :
- Artemis II crew reaches closest Moon approach on April 6, marking humanity’s first lunar journey since 1972.
- Astronauts capture the Moon’s Orientale basin with human eyes for the very first time.
Key Facts :
- The four-member crew follows the same figure-eight path Apollo 13 once took.
- Mission ends with a Pacific Ocean splashdown near San Diego on April 10.
Background :
NASA’s Artemis II crew reaches a major milestone in the first week of April as the four astronauts prepare for their closest approach to the Moon, marking humanity’s first lunar journey since 1972. The Orion spacecraft carries Commander Reid Wiseman, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Pilot Victor Glover of the United States, along with Canadian Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen.
The crew is now over two-thirds of the way through its journey, positioning the astronauts to become Earth’s farthest human emissaries during their flyby. The mission follows the same figure-eight path that Apollo 13 previously took, with the flyby lasting approximately six hours.
The crew operates their full scientific work program during the flyby mission. The astronauts conduct surveys of the Apollo 12 and 14 landing sites while they search for upcoming landing sites and observe the earthshine effect, which creates a weak moonlight glow through sunlight that reflects off Earth. The crew takes photographs of Mercury, Venus, Mars and Saturn during their spaceflight.
The Artemis II crew also captures the Moon’s Orientale basin, a massive bullseye-shaped crater now seen with human eyes for the first time in its entirety.
A key moment during the flyby involves a nearly 40-minute communication blackout as Orion passes behind the dark side of the Moon. NASA’s flight director notes that physics ensures the spacecraft returns to the near side safely.
After completing the flyby, the crew targets a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego on April 10, wrapping up the nine-day mission.
The mission serves as an essential test flight for the Orion spacecraft while NASA collects data that will assist in preparing future Artemis missions that include a scheduled lunar landing.