NASA's Artemis II Crew Prepares for Historic Lunar Flyby

NASA's Artemis II mission is poised to achieve a significant milestone as its crew prepares for a lunar flyby on Monday, April 6. This mission marks the first time in over 50 years that astronauts will journey around the Moon, following the successful launch from Kennedy Space Center on April 1, 2026.

The Artemis II crew comprises NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. During the flyby, the Orion spacecraft will approach within approximately 4,070 miles of the lunar surface, providing the crew with a unique vantage point to observe and photograph the Moon's far side, including regions near the north and south poles.

As Orion passes behind the Moon, a planned communications blackout of about 40 minutes will occur, during which the lunar surface will block radio signals between the spacecraft and mission control. Similar blackouts were experienced during previous missions and are expected with Earth-based communications infrastructure.

The mission is also set to break the record for the farthest distance from Earth traveled by any human mission, surpassing the mark set by Apollo 13 in April 1970. Orion is expected to reach its maximum distance at 7:07 p.m. EDT, totaling 252,760 miles from Earth; Apollo 13 reached 248,655 miles.

Following the lunar flyby, the crew will begin their return journey to Earth, with a planned splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego on April 10. This mission serves as a critical step in NASA's Artemis program, aiming to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon and lay the groundwork for future missions to Mars.