The numbers
The Artemis II mission has launched four astronauts on a journey around the moon, marking a pivotal moment in space exploration. As of April 4, 2026, the Orion spacecraft is more than 160,000 miles from Earth and less than 120,000 miles from the moon.
On this day, the crew reached the halfway point of their voyage, just two days, five hours, and 24 minutes since liftoff. Reid Wiseman, one of the astronauts, expressed his excitement, stating, “It was really great to wake up this morning and look out the window and see the full moon off the front of the vehicle.”
The Artemis II crew, which includes NASA astronauts Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, is set to conduct a lunar flyby on April 6, 2026. At its closest approach, the Orion spacecraft will fly 4,066 miles from the moon.
During the mission, the crew has been busy, practicing CPR in space and testing medical equipment from the Orion medical kit. Koch noted, “We can see the Moon out of the docking hatch right now, it is a beautiful sight.” This mission is not just about exploration; it’s also about ensuring astronaut safety and readiness for future missions.
As the mission progresses, the crew will experience a communications blackout when Orion passes behind the moon. This moment is crucial, as it will test the spacecraft’s systems and the crew’s ability to adapt. Mission Control remarked, “You are now closer to the moon than you are to us on Earth.”
In addition to the lunar flyby, the Artemis II mission is expected to surpass the Apollo 13 distance record by 4,102 miles, reaching a maximum distance of 252,757 miles from Earth. The Orion Artemis II Optical Communications System has already surpassed 100 gigabytes of data downlinked during the mission, showcasing advancements in technology.
As the crew continues their journey, they are on a ‘free-return’ trajectory, utilizing the moon’s gravity to return to Earth without propulsion. NASA stated, “We’re halfway there,” emphasizing the significance of this mission in paving the way for future lunar exploration.
Details remain unconfirmed as the mission unfolds, but the excitement surrounding Artemis II is palpable, marking a new chapter in humanity’s quest to explore the cosmos.
