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Artemis II Astronauts Journey Beyond Earth Orbit
5 Apr
Summary
- Four astronauts are on a 10-day mission orbiting the moon.
- The crew is over 206,000 miles from Earth, traveling at 1,771 mph.
- Artemis II will perform a lunar flyby on April 6 to view the moon's far side.
The Artemis II mission, launched on April 1, is currently charting a course around the moon with a crew of four astronauts. As of 7 a.m. ET on April 5, the Orion spacecraft had traveled over 206,482 miles from Earth, continuing to increase its distance. The astronauts are executing a 10-day flight that will take them farther into space than any humans before.
The mission is scheduled for a crucial lunar flyby on April 6. During a six-hour window, the alignment of the sun, moon, and Orion spacecraft will allow the crew to observe the far side of the moon. On April 5, the crew's activities included testing their Orion Crew Survival System Suits and preparing for an outbound trajectory correction burn to refine their flight path and velocity. The mission aims to test systems for future lunar landings, with a landing planned for Artemis IV in 2028.
