The first crewed test flight under NASA's Artemis program is underway. Four Artemis II astronauts are flying aboard NASA's Orion spacecraft around the Moon and back, as they test how the spacecraft's systems operate in a deep space environment.
NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen lifted off at 6:35 p.m. EDT on April 1 from launch pad 39B at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Real-time coverage continues throughout the mission on NASA's YouTube channel. The agency also provides a separate live stream of views from the Orion spacecraft as bandwidth allows, as well as inside the capsule. In addition NASA is providing the latest mission imagery online.
Daily mission status briefings are held live from the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston through splashdown, except for Monday, April 6, due to lunar flyby activities. A list of activities is regularly updated online.
The crew are participating in live conversations throughout the mission, which were scheduled prior to their departure from Earth. NASA will provide the exact times of each of these downlink events, as well as the latest mission coverage, on the Artemis blog.
To track Orion in space, visit: nasa.gov/trackartemis
Frequently Asked Questions (all times Eastern):
How long is the Artemis II mission? NASA's Artemis II mission is an approximately 10-day journey around the Moon including launch, a lunar flyby, and a safe splashdown off the coast of San Diego.
How far will Artemis II travel? Crew is expected to travel a total of 695,081 miles from launch to splashdown. The spacecraft will pass within 4,066 miles of the lunar surface during its closest approach and will reach a maximum distance of 252,757 miles from Earth, about 4,102 miles farther than Apollo 13.
When and where will the Artemis II crew and Orion spacecraft splashdown?
The location and time of our Artemis II splashdown will continue to shift as mission milestones are reached. In the days leading up to splashdown, updates will be available on NASA's website and in our daily news conferences. Mission media events are available on the agency's website.
NASA's Artemis II mission is scheduled to splash down off the coast of San Diego at approximately 8:07 p.m. EDT (5:07 p.m. PDT) on Friday, April 10. Following splashdown, recovery teams will retrieve the crew using helicopters and deliver them to the USS John P. Murtha. Once aboard, the astronauts will undergo post-mission medical evaluations in the ship's medical bay before traveling back to shore to meet with an aircraft bound for NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.
What is the crew doing on this mission? Artemis II astronauts are putting the Orion spacecraft through a series of planned tests to evaluate systems, procedures, and performance in deep space. They will conduct manual spacecraft operations and monitor automated activities; evaluate Orion's life-support, propulsion, power, thermal, and navigation systems; perform proximity operations activities; assess habitability and crew interfaces; and participate in science activities, including lunar surface observations and human health studies, that will inform science operations on future Moon missions. They also will practice mission-critical activities, including trajectory adjustments, communications at lunar distances, and piloting Orion during key phases of flight, culminating in a re-entry and splashdown to further validate the spacecraft's performance with crew aboard.
What can we expect to see during lunar flyby? All times are subject to change. Here's a rough schedule of activities:
- Live coverage begins at 1 p.m., and continues through 9:45 p.m.
- 1:30 p.m.: NASA hosts a conversation between the crew and the science officer in NASA's Mission Control Center at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston, to go over the objectives and timeline for the flyby.
- Because the Sun's angle on the Moon shifts by about one degree every two hours, the crew could not know the exact lighting conditions to expect on the lunar surface until after launch. This briefing provides one final opportunity to review details before the flyby begins.
- 7:05 p.m.: The Artemis II crew is expected surpass the record previously set by the Apollo 13 crew in 1970 for the farthest humans have ever traveled from Earth.
- The Apollo 13 crew traveled 248,655 miles from Earth; Artemis II will reach a maximum distance of 252,757 miles from Earth, surpassing the record by about 4,102 miles. The crew is expected to make remarks on the milestone around 2:10 p.m.
- 2:45 p.m.: The seven-hour lunar observation period begins. Crew will see both the near and far sides of the Moon as the observation period begins.
- Because room at Orion's windows is limited, the crew will divide into pairs, with two crew members observing for 55 to 85 minutes, while the pair exercises or completes on other tasks.
- 6:47 p.m.: Mission control expects to temporarily lose communication with the crew as Orion passes behind the Moon.
- 7:02 p.m.: Astronauts will make their closest approach to the Moon, the reach its farthest point from Earth at 7:05 p.m.
- At this distance, the Moon will appear to the astronauts about the size of a basketball held at arm's length. They also may be the first humans to see some parts of the Moon's far side with the unaided eye.
- 7:27 p.m.: NASA's Mission Control Center should re-acquire communication with the astronauts.
- 9:20 p.m.: The flyby observation period wraps, and crew will begin transferring some of the imagery to the ground. NASA's science team will review the images and observations overnight, and then discuss with crew the following day, while the experience is still fresh.
Why do we need astronauts to view the Moon when we have robotic observers? Human eyes and brains are highly sensitive to subtle changes in color, texture, and other surface characteristics. Having astronaut eyes observe the lunar surface directly, in combination with the context of all the advances that scientists have made about the Moon over the last several decades, may uncover new discoveries and a more nuanced appreciation for the features on the surface of the Moon.
Though the crew will not be able to downlink all their imagery before they return to Earth, as much as possible will be made available on the Artemis II Multimedia website. Additional imagery will also be added as it is processed following splashdown.
