Artemis II Mission: Crew Enters Moon’s Sphere of Influence
- The Artemis II crew has officially entered the moon's sphere of influence, marking a critical gravitational transition as the Orion spacecraft moves further from Earth.
- The transition took place on April 6, 2026, at approximately 12:41 a.m.
- The crew reached this point four days, six hours, and two minutes into their mission.
The Artemis II crew has officially entered the moon’s sphere of influence, marking a critical gravitational transition as the Orion spacecraft moves further from Earth. This milestone occurs when the moon’s gravitational pull becomes stronger than that of Earth, signifying the spacecraft’s entry into the lunar vicinity.
The transition took place on April 6, 2026, at approximately 12:41 a.m. EDT. According to NASA data, the Orion capsule crossed this mathematical boundary while positioned approximately 41,072 miles from the moon and 232,000 miles away from Earth.
Mission Timeline and Technical Milestones
The crew reached this point four days, six hours, and two minutes into their mission. This achievement represents the first time humans have entered the lunar sphere of influence since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972, effectively picking up where the Apollo program ended over half a century ago.
Leading up to this transition, the crew conducted several critical technical operations. On April 5, 2026, the astronauts performed an outbound trajectory correction (OTC) burn at 11:03 p.m. EDT to fine-tune their flight path toward the moon.
Simultaneously, the crew spent flight day 5 conducting essential tests of the Orion Crew Survival System spacesuits. These evaluations included leak checks, simulating seat entry, and assessing the crew’s mobility and their ability to eat and drink while suited. These suits are designed to protect the astronauts during dynamic flight phases and provide life support during survival operations after splashdown or in the event of cabin depressurization.
Crew and Spacecraft Capabilities
The Artemis II mission is crewed by four astronauts: NASA’s Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, alongside Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
The crew is utilizing the Orion spacecraft, which features four windows near the display console. On April 5, 2026, the astronauts captured images of the Earth as a distant crescent and a photo of the moon as it drew closer in the window before they went to sleep on flight day 5.
While Apollo-era flights in the 1960s and 1970s flew as close as 70 miles above the lunar surface, the Artemis II trajectory is designed for a different perspective. At their closest approach, the crew will be just over 4,000 miles from the moon.
This specific distance is intended to allow the crew to observe the complete, spherical surface of the moon, including the regions near both poles.
Next Phases of the Lunar Flyby
Following the entry into the lunar sphere of influence, the next major objective is the trip to the far side of the moon on April 6, 2026. This maneuver will take the crew deeper into space than any previous human mission.
The mission is structured as a 10-day journey around the moon, serving as a foundational step toward future lunar landings and the establishment of a sustained human presence beyond Earth.
Lori Glaze, deputy associate administrator for Nasa’s Exploration Systems Development Mission
Our flight operations team and our science team are ready for the first lunar flyby in more than 50 years.
The crew will reach their closest point to the moon later on April 6, 2026, as they continue their trajectory to break the distance record previously set by Apollo 13.