The Artemis II crew has crossed the halfway mark on its journey to the moon, with NASA releasing new imagery Saturday morning on X as the four astronauts prepare for a historic flyaround that will take them farther from Earth than any human has traveled in more than half a century.
Purpose of the Artemis II Mission
NASA’s Artemis II mission is designed as a critical test flight to prove that the agency’s new deep‑space systems can safely carry humans beyond low Earth orbit for the first time in more than five decades. The mission marks the first crewed flight of NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and the Orion spacecraft, with astronauts tasked with testing life‑support systems, navigation, communications and manual spacecraft controls during a multi‑day journey around the moon, according to NASA.
The crew will not land on the lunar surface, but the mission is intended to validate spacecraft performance before astronauts are sent on more complex missions.
Artemis II is a key step in NASA’s longer‑term plan to establish a sustained human presence on the moon and prepare for future missions to Mars. By flying astronauts on a free‑return trajectory around the moon and back to Earth, NASA aims to reduce risk for later missions that will involve lunar landings, surface operations and assembly of infrastructure in orbit.
President Donald Trump shared a message Wednesday ahead of the Artemis II mission around the moon, saying, “God bless our incredible Astronauts.”
Artemis III, currently targeted for 2027, is planned as a crewed test flight in low Earth orbit. NASA has said the mission is intended to test rendezvous and docking operations between the Orion spacecraft and one or more commercial lunar landers, a critical capability for future moon missions.
The first crewed lunar landing under the Artemis program is expected to take place on Artemis IV, scheduled for 2028, following lessons learned from Artemis II and III. NASA says the stepped approach is designed to reduce risk as the agency works toward establishing a sustained human presence on the moon later this decade.
What To Know
The crew—Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen—is set to reach the moon on Monday.
During their flyaround, they will photograph the far side of the moon, capturing imagery to be shared with scientists and the public. The crew will not enter lunar orbit. The nearly 10-day mission is scheduled to conclude with a Pacific Ocean splashdown on April 10.
NASA announced the halfway milestone Saturday on X, writing: “Lock in, we’re Moonbound. Artemis II astronauts are more than halfway to their destination, and preparations for lunar flyby are underway. During their trip around the far side of the Moon, they will capture imagery to share with scientists (and you, too!).”
Saturday’s imagery release follows NASA’s first batch of downlinked photos on Friday, roughly a day-and-a-half into the mission. Those images, shot by Wiseman, showed a curved slice of Earth framed in one of Orion’s windows, and a full view of the globe with swirling cloud formations and a glowing green aurora visible over the northern hemisphere.
The mission carries several historic firsts: Hansen is the first non-American to fly to the Moon; Koch is the first woman; and Glover is the first Black astronaut to make the journey.
What People Are Saying
NASA, via X on Saturday: “I’m gonna keep on dancing on the way to the Moon🎵Today, the Artemis II crew woke up to “Pink Pony Club” by Chappell Roan.”
President Donald Trump, via Truth Social on Wednesday: “Tonight at 6:24 P.M. EST, for the first time in over 50 YEARS, America is going back to the Moon! Artemis II, among the most powerful rockets ever built, is launching our Brave Astronauts farther into Deep Space than any human has EVER gone. We are WINNING, in Space, on Earth, and everywhere in between — Economically, Militarily, and now, BEYOND THE STARS. Nobody comes close! America doesn’t just compete, we DOMINATE, and the whole World is watching. God bless our incredible Astronauts, God bless NASA, and God bless the Greatest Nation ever to exist, the United States of America!”
NASA Artemis, via X on Saturday: “Not bad for a first day in space. Yesterday, as they became closer to the Moon than the Earth, Commander Reid Wiseman and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen reflected on the feeling of the translunar injection burn. Rise, the zero-gravity indicator, hung out for the conversation as well.”
Jared Isaacman, NASA administrator, via X on Thursday: “Our four astronauts aboard Orion said it was a great ride during launch. Artemis II is on its way to the Moon. This mission is critical in setting us up for success for our next missions — Artemis III, Artemis IV, and beyond.”
Reporting from the Associated Press contributed to this article.
