NASA and Canadian Astronauts Enter Third Day of Space Mission

The crew of NASA’s Artemis II mission has reached the far side of the Moon, marking the first time the entire Orientale basin has been viewed by human eyes. The mission, which launched on April 1, 2026, is the first crewed deep-space flight in over 50 years and the first crewed mission of the Artemis program.

The crew consists of NASA astronauts Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen. As of 23:00 BST on Saturday, April 4, 2026, NASA’s online dashboard indicated the spacecraft was more than 180,000 miles from Earth.

Entering the third day of their mission, the astronauts described the experience of seeing the lunar far side as absolutely spectacular. Christina Koch noted that the visual experience differed from the side of the Moon typically seen from Earth.

Mission Launch and Technical Milestones

The Artemis II mission began with the liftoff of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft, named Integrity, from Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 1, 2026.

Following the launch, flight controllers in Houston confirmed the successful deployment of Orion’s solar array wings. These four wings extend from the European Service Module, providing the spacecraft with a total wingspan of approximately 63 feet. Each wing contains 15,000 solar cells designed to convert sunlight into electricity.

The arrays are capable of rotating on two axes to track the Sun, ensuring maximum power generation as the spacecraft changes its attitude during its orbit around Earth and its journey toward the Moon.

To prepare for deep-space operations, the mission included a perigee raise maneuver (PRM) and an apogee raise burn (ARB). These maneuvers were designed to increase the lowest and highest points of the Orion spacecraft’s orbit.

International Collaboration

The mission represents a significant international partnership, specifically involving the Canadian Space Agency. Colonel Jeremy Hansen is the first Canadian astronaut to venture to the Moon.

The Honourable Mélanie Joly issued congratulations to Hansen following the launch, noting that this is the first crewed mission to the Moon since 1972.

Mission Objectives and Duration

Artemis II is designed as a test flight to evaluate the capabilities of the Orion spacecraft and the SLS rocket for future lunar exploration. The crew is on an approximately 10-day mission that will take them around the Moon before returning to Earth.

Following the initial launch and orbital burns, the crew was scheduled to begin preparations for Orion’s proximity operations demonstration.