Artemis II Prepares for Lunar Flyby With Focus on Human Observation Science
Key Takeaways
- Four astronauts aboard Orion prepare for a lunar flyby.
- Artemis II targets a lunar flyby around April 6, 2026.
- Crew will conduct human-observation science of the Moon's far side.
Lunar Flyby Prep
The Orion spacecraft is about 169,000 miles from Earth and 110,700 miles from the Moon.
The crew will conduct a manual piloting demonstration and begin a 24-hour acoustics test.
The six-hour flyby will bring Orion approximately 4,066 miles from the lunar surface.
The astronauts will apply geological observational skills to document lunar features.
Human Vision Science
NASA's science team finalized a targeted lunar surface observation plan for the crew.
Human eyes can detect subtle color nuances that spacecraft cameras sometimes miss.
The Artemis II mission is the first crewed lunar mission in over 50 years.
Mission Progress
The Artemis II crew launched on April 1 and have been exercising and testing systems.
Plans for an outbound trajectory correction burn were canceled as Orion remains on track.
The crew is preparing to enter the lunar sphere of influence.
The mission is expected to last about 10 days.
More on Technology and Science
Apple Celebrates 50 Years of Innovation and Challenge in Modern Tech
15 sources compared
NASA Accelerates Moon Base Plans to Compete With China's Lunar Ambitions
18 sources compared
NASA's Artemis II Mission Orbits Moon, Delivers Historic Images
31 sources compared
Artemis II Crew Captures Historic Earth Photo and Prepares Moon Reconnaissance
12 sources compared