NASA’s Artemis II crew has entered the Moon’s gravitational sphere of influence, preparing to become the farthest-flying humans in history as they approach the shadowed far side of the lunar surface. The mission’s four astronauts—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen—have been aboard the Orion capsule since launching from Florida last week.
On the sixth day of their nearly ten-day mission, the crew is scheduled to awaken around 10:50 a.m. ET (3:50 p.m. Irish time). By 7:05 p.m. ET (12:05 a.m. Irish time), they are expected to reach a maximum distance from Earth of approximately 406,772 km, surpassing the Apollo 13 record of 400,171 km set 56 years ago by 6,601 km.
During the record-setting lunar flyby, the astronauts will pass roughly 6,437 km above the Moon’s far side, observing the darkened lunar surface with the Earth appearing as a small sphere on the distant horizon. The flyby, beginning officially at 2:34 p.m. ET (7:34 p.m. Irish time), will bring temporary communications blackouts as the Moon blocks signals from NASA’s Deep Space Network.
For six hours, the crew will photograph the silhouetted Moon, capturing sunlight filtering along its edges in what will effectively resemble a lunar eclipse. They are also expected to document a rare view of the Earth rising above the lunar horizon, a celestial phenomenon akin to a “moon rise from space.” Scientists at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston will monitor and record the astronauts’ observations in real time, focusing on geological and surface features.
Mission operations continue alongside scientific observation. The crew has completed a manual piloting demonstration and reviewed their lunar flyby plan. NASA Chief Jared Isaacman highlighted the importance of studying Orion’s life support and spacecraft systems, marking the first crewed flight of the capsule. “This is the first time astronauts have ever flown on this spacecraft before. That’s what we’re most interested in getting data from,” he said.
Astronauts have also been testing their bright orange “survival” suits, designed for take-off, re-entry, and emergency situations such as cabin depressurization. NASA confirmed the crew will conduct a full sequence of suit operations, including donning and pressurising the suits, performing leak checks, simulating seat entry, and assessing mobility, eating, and drinking capabilities. These tests are considered crucial for planning subsequent missions, including Artemis III in 2027 and the first crewed lunar landing of the Artemis programme during Artemis IV in 2028.
The Artemis II mission marks a pivotal step in NASA’s multi-billion-dollar effort to return humans to the Moon and establish a long-term presence, serving as a proving ground for potential future missions to Mars. With the crew about to surpass Apollo 13’s distance record, NASA celebrates a historic milestone while testing the systems and skills that will underpin the next generation of lunar exploration.
