Artemis II: New Moon Photos and Mission Updates

NASA’s Artemis II mission reached a critical milestone on April 6, 2026, as the crew made their closest approach to the Moon. This mission represents the first crewed lunar flyby in over 50 years and serves as a primary test for the systems required for a long-term human return to the lunar surface and future missions to Mars.

The mission launched on April 1, 2026, from the Kennedy Space Center. The crew consists of Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen. This crew is achieving several historic firsts, including Christina Koch as the first woman to enter the vicinity of the Moon, Victor Glover as the first person of color to travel beyond low Earth orbit (LEO), and Jeremy Hansen as the first non-U.S. Citizen to travel beyond LEO.

Mission Trajectory and Technical Milestones

The mission utilizes the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft. The SLS provided 8.8 million pounds of liftoff thrust to send the 5.75-million-pound vehicle into space. Following launch, the crew completed a Perigee Raise Burn at T+15 hours and 40 minutes.

On April 2, 2026, at 7:50 PM EDT, the crew and Mission Control executed the Trans-Lunar Injection (TLI). This maneuver placed the Orion spacecraft on a free-return trajectory, a flight path that allows the spacecraft to return to Earth using lunar gravity even if propulsion systems fail.

The mission is designed to last approximately 10 days, with a maximum distance from Earth of 270,000 miles. Upon completion of the lunar flyby, the spacecraft will re-enter Earth’s atmosphere at a speed of 25,000 mph, targeting a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego.

Visual Documentation and Lunar Encounter

As the Orion spacecraft approached the Moon, the crew captured a series of images documenting their journey. On April 5, 2026, the fourth day of the mission, the crew photographed a thin crescent of Earth through a spacecraft window.

One last look at Earth before we reach the Moon

NASA

Following this, the crew captured new imagery of the far side of the Moon as they reached their closest approach on April 6, 2026. These images provide critical visual data as the mission tests the Exploration Ground Systems and the integrated performance of the Orion spacecraft in deep space.

Communication and Operational Challenges

A significant technical aspect of the lunar flyby involves the loss of direct communication with Earth. As the spacecraft moves behind the Moon, the crew experiences a period of approximately 40 minutes where they lose contact with Mission Control. This window tests the crew’s autonomy and the spacecraft’s onboard systems without real-time ground support.

The mission remains in a nominal status, with the Orion trajectory performing as expected. The flight serves as a crewed test flight to validate the life support and navigation systems necessary for subsequent Artemis missions that will involve landing humans on the lunar surface.