A Historic Moon Flyby
Emerging from behind the moon, the Artemis II astronauts directed their capsule back towards Earth on Monday night after witnessing views of the lunar far side that had never been seen before and setting a new distance record for humanity. The seven-hour flyby was the highlight of NASA’s first return to the moon since the Apollo era, with three Americans and one Canadian taking part in this significant step towards landing boot prints near the moon’s south pole in just two years.
Breaking Records
Artemis II surpassed the distance record set by Apollo 13, which was 248,655 miles (400,171 kilometers) in April 1970. The new record reached a maximum distance of 252,756 miles (406,771 kilometers) from Earth. Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen expressed his amazement, stating, “It is blowing my mind what you can see with the naked eye from the moon right now. It is just unbelievable.” He encouraged future generations to ensure this record isn’t long-lived.
Honoring Memories
After breaking the record, the astronauts requested permission to name two fresh lunar craters they had observed. They proposed “Integrity,” the name of their capsule, and “Carroll” in honor of commander Reid Wiseman’s wife, who passed away from cancer in 2020. Wiseman was emotional as Hansen made the request to Mission Control, and all four astronauts embraced in tears.
Capturing the Moment
Wiseman, Glover, Hansen, and Christina Koch began their day with a wake-up message from Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell, who recorded it just two months before his death last August. “Welcome to my old neighborhood,” said Lovell, who also flew on Apollo 8, humanity’s first lunar visit. “It’s a historic day and I know how busy you’ll be, but don’t forget to enjoy the view.”
They carried an Apollo 8 silk patch that accompanied Lovell to the moon and showed it off as the crucial flyby approached. “It’s just a real honor to have that on board with us,” said Wiseman. “Let’s go have a great day.”
Navigating the Moon
Artemis II is using the same maneuver that Apollo 13 did after its oxygen tank explosion. Known as a free-return lunar trajectory, this route takes advantage of Earth and the moon’s gravity, reducing the need for fuel. It’s a celestial figure-eight that put the astronauts on course for home once they emerged from behind the moon Monday evening.
The Artemis II crew ducked behind the moon more than halfway through the lunar flyby. During the 40-minute communication blackout, they made their closest approach to the moon—4,067 miles (6,545 kilometers)—and reached their maximum distance of 252,756 miles (406,771 kilometers) from Earth. At that point, they were homeward bound, taking four days to get back with a Pacific splashdown concluding their test flight on Friday.
Exploring the Lunar Landscape
Their estimated speed at closest approach to the moon was 3,139 mph (5,052 kph). Wiseman and his crew spent years studying lunar geography to prepare for the big event, adding solar eclipses to their repertoire during the past few weeks.
Topping their science target list was the Orientale Basin, a sprawling impact basin with three concentric rings, the outermost of which stretches nearly 600 miles (950 kilometers) across. Other sightseeing goals included the Apollo 12 and 14 landing sites from 1969 and 1971, respectively, as well as fringes of the south polar region, the preferred locale for future touchdowns.
A New Era in Space Exploration
Artemis II is NASA’s first astronaut moonshot since Apollo 17 in 1972. It sets the stage for next year’s Artemis III, which will see another Orion crew practice docking with lunar landers in orbit around Earth. The culminating moon landing by two astronauts near the moon’s south pole will follow on Artemis IV in 2028.
While Artemis II may be taking Apollo 13’s path, it’s most reminiscent of Apollo 8 and humanity’s first lunar visitors who orbited the moon on Christmas Eve 1968 and read from the Book of Genesis.
Glover reflected on the experience, saying flying to the moon during Christianity’s Holy Week brought home for him “the beauty of creation.” Earth is an oasis amid “a whole bunch of nothing, this thing we call the universe” where humanity exists as one, he observed over the weekend.
“This is an opportunity for us to remember where we are, who we are, and that we are the same thing and that we’ve got to get through this together,” Glover said, clasping hands with his crewmates.
