Artemis II Mission: A Journey Around the Moon
NASA’s Artemis II mission launched on April 1 at 6:35 p.m. ET from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The four-person crew is embarking on a 685,000-mile, 10-day journey around the moon, also known as a lunar fly-by.
Latest Developments
On April 3, NASA provided a preview of the Artemis II crew’s upcoming lunar flyby during a press conference. On Saturday, the crew will take a selfie of the spacecraft and test some thruster flight modes on Orion. On Monday, during the six-hour lunar observation period when the crew is on the far side of the moon, the astronauts will be at their closest approach to the lunar surface. They will be making visual observations as well as photographs and video. The observation period will begin at around 2:30 p.m. ET, NASA said.
The blackout period, when the crew is behind the moon and loses communications with Mission Control, is expected to last about 40 minutes. When asked if there is reason to worry about the astronauts when they are behind the moon and out of contact with Earth, Judd Frieling, Artemis flight director, said, “Physics takes over and physics will absolutely get us back to the front side of the moon.”
Crew Excitement and Progress
During a press conference on Friday, NASA leaders said the Artemis II crew is in “great spirits” and “really excited about the opportunity to be there and what’s going on.” Orion’s navigation and propulsion systems are performing so well that the crew will not perform the planned trajectory burn scheduled for this evening, NASA said.
“I think it’s really good to see that we don’t need these minor correction burns. It shows that our navigation performance and our ability to get ranging has been outstanding,” Howard Hu, program manager for the Orion spacecraft, said.
On Friday, the astronauts spent some time conducting a “noise characterization” assessment of the toilet’s noise levels. The crew also had time to exercise and did a CPR demonstration. NASA said the astronauts are conducting a medical kit evaluation and will test emergency communications with the Deep Space Network.
Daily Activities and Preparations
On day 3 of their mission, the Artemis II astronauts woke up around 1:00 p.m. ET to the song “In a Daydream” by the Freddy Jones Band. Day 3 will include demonstrating CPR procedures in space and checking out some of Orion’s medical kit, including the thermometer, blood pressure monitor, stethoscope and otoscope, according to NASA.
The crew will also begin to configure the cabin for its upcoming lunar flyby so it has the most ideal setup for capturing images and data of the far side of the moon. Additionally, the Artemis II astronauts will be doing a Deep Space Network emergency communications test to make sure the system works.
Capturing Earth from Space
NASA released the first batch of high-quality photos of Earth taken from the Orion capsule. The images show the crew’s view as they look back at the pale blue dot we call home, while continuing their journey toward the moon.
According to NASA, the images were taken on Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman’s “personal computing device, PC or tablet.”
During Friday morning’s video feed from the Orion spacecraft, NASA captured an image of Earth partly in daytime and partly at night. The Earth is the object on the right that appears crescent-shaped. Orion is about 77,000 miles from Earth here.
Solar Eclipse and Successful Burn
On the sixth day of the 10-day mission, the Artemis II crew will get the chance to see a solar eclipse. The sun’s corona will be visible, NASA officials said.
During a press conference on Thursday night, Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator at NASA, said that the critical translunar injection burn was “flawless.” “From this point forward, the laws of orbital mechanics are going to carry our crew to the moon, around the far side and back to Earth,” Glaze said.
Phenomenal Views and Gratitude
Astronaut Jeremy Hansen told Mission Control that the crew is “glued to the window” of the spacecraft, enjoying the views of Earth. “None of us can get to lunch because we’re glued to the window. We’re taking pictures,” he said, calling the sight of their home planet from space “phenomenal.”
Speaking to Mission Control after the successful translunar injection burn, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen shared a message of gratitude, saying, “We firmly felt the power of your perseverance during every second of that burn.” “Humanity has once again shown what we are capable of, and it’s your hopes for the future that carry us now on this journey around the moon,” he added.
Successful Translunar Injection Burn
The translunar injection burn has been completed successfully. The Artemis II crew is on its way to the moon. The crew received two caution indicators on their screen but determined it required no action and proceeded with the burn.
The burn occurred on time at the one day, one hour and 14-minute mark for the mission, according to Mission Control. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman was in Mission Control during the TLI burn.
