Artemis II Lunar Flyby LIVE: NASA's Artemis II Crew Breaks Apollo 13's Distance Record, Crew To Observe Uncharted Territory

Artemis II Lunar Flyby LIVE: Artemis II is experiencing a solar eclipse for approximately an hour as Orion, the Moon, and the Sun align, obscuring the Sun's light.

Artemis II Lunar Flyby LIVE: Artemis II has reached its maximum distance, 252,756 miles from Earth, making Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy the farthest humans ever from home. Though they wished the mission be forgotten, it symbolizes America’s potential for the near-impossible. Success awaits upon safe return and splashdown in the Pacific.

Artemis II Lunar Flyby LIVE: The crew of Artemis II has reached two important milestones. At 7.02 pm EDT, they made their closest approach to the moon, coming within 4067 miles of the lunar surface. A few minutes later, at 7.07 pm EDT, they reached their farthest point from Earth, 252,756 miles away.

The mission control is unconcerned about the 40-minute loss of signal, with Flight Director Rick Henfling saying, "We know where the spacecraft is, we know where it'll be when we come out of LOS, and so we're not worried." NASA expects to reacquire signal with Artemis 2 at 7.24 pm EDT. 

Artemis II Lunar Flyby LIVE: The Artemis II Orion spacecraft has flown behind the moon, marking a planned 40-minute loss of signal with Earth. Before going out of range, pilot Victor Glover shared a heartfelt message, saying, "All of humanity in one photo" as cameras showed the spacecraft, moon, and crescent Earth.

Glover explained the importance of love, referencing Christ's teachings, and said, "We feel your love from Earth. And to all of you down there on Earth and around Earth, we love you from the moon."

Next Update: Reacquisition of signal expected at 7.27 pm EDT. 

Artemis II Lunar Flyby LIVE: The crew has received updated stats on their moon flyby. At 7.02 pm EDT, they will be 4067 miles above the lunar surface, and at 7.07 pm EDT, they will reach their farthest point from Earth, 252,756 miles away. Pilot Victor Glover joked about wanting the stats in km and parsecs.

Upcoming Milestones:

6.44 pm EDT: Loss of signal as Artemis 2 flies behind the moon

6.49 pm EDT: Earth sets behind the moon

7.02 pm EDT: Closest approach to the moon

7.07 pm EDT: Farthest distance from Earth

7.27 pm EDT: Reacquisition of signal

The crew is also enjoying a variety of meals, including vegetarian chili, salmon croquettes, and chocolate pudding.

Artemis II Lunar Flyby LIVE: The Artemis II astronauts are 3 hours into their 7-hour lunar flyby, with Reid Wiseman and Jeremy Hansen now observing Glushko Crater, a young crater on the moon. The Lunar Science team is updating plans based on the crew's observations.

Current Location: The Orion spacecraft is 5818 miles from the moon and 252,050 miles from Earth.

Astronauts' Experience: Christina Koch described the experience as "incredible" and "moving", saying the moon became "real" to her.

Next Steps: Glover and Koch are due for lunch, while the crew continues to share observations and update NASA's plans. 

Artemis II Lunar Flyby LIVE: The Artemis II crew has reached the 2.5-hour mark of their 7-hour lunar science plan, with pilot Victor Glover and mission specialist Christina Koch taking positions at the Orion spacecraft's windows. Commander Reid Wiseman and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen have moved to support roles, but are still sharing observations.

Glover reported seeing illuminated mountain peaks on the moon's unilluminated side, describing them as "islands out beyond the terminator". Science Officer Kelsey Young praised the crew's unique contributions, saying, “Those types of observations are things that humans are uniquely able to contribute.” The crew has also proposed naming two moon craters, Integrity, after their Orion spacecraft, and Carroll, in honour of Wiseman's late wife. 

Artemis II Lunar Flyby LIVE: The crew is treating the world to stunning views of the moon as they near their closest approach. "The more I look at the moon, the browner and browner it looks," mission specialist Christina Koch said. Pilot Victor Glover is facing some challenges switching between the dark Orion cabin and the bright moon view through zoom lenses.

They are about 2 hours into the 7-hour moon observation period, with the crew observing in pairs. Reid Wiseman and Jeremy Hansen are currently the primary window observers, with Glover and Koch supporting them. They will swap places in about 30 minutes.

Artemis II Lunar Flyby LIVE: The Artemis II crew has dedicated a moon crater to Reid Wiseman's late wife, Carroll, who passed away in 2020. Mission specialist Jeremy Hansen announced the naming during an emotional moment as they surpassed the Apollo 13 distance record. The Carroll crater is located near the Glushko crater, at the same latitude as Earth, and is visible from our planet. The crew also suggested naming another crater "Integrity" in honour of their Orion spacecraft.

Artemis II Lunar Flyby LIVE: The Artemis II crew has broken the record for farthest humans from Earth, surpassing Apollo 13's 1970 mark of 248,655 miles. At 1.56 pm ET, they reached a distance of over 248,655 miles, with a maximum distance of 252,760 miles expected. "We honor our predecessors' efforts and challenge this generation to push further," said Commander Reid Wiseman.

As the Artemis II astronauts prepare for the lunar flyby, they take a moment to reflect on the legacy of the Apollo 8 mission. 

An Apollo 8 patch is onboard with them that flew aboard the lunar-orbiting mission over fifty years ago.

NASA shares a preview of how the crew will describe and image targets on the Moon.

Artemis II astronauts will be flying around the Moon at 1pm ET (1700 UTC) as they view parts of the Moon never seen by humans before.

A new photo captures the Moon's near side on the right (the side we see from Earth, identifiable by its dark splotches) and its far side on the left. The Artemis II crew are the first to see the far side with human eyes.

Key moments (India Standard Time):

11:26 p.m. IST — Artemis II crew surpasses the Apollo 13 distance record

12:15 a.m. IST (April 7) — Lunar observation phase begins

4:17 a.m. IST — Communications blackout begins as the spacecraft slips behind the Moon (lasting 40 minutes)

4:32 a.m. IST — Closest approach to the lunar surface

4:35 a.m. IST — Spacecraft reaches its farthest point from Earth

The lunar observation period will begin at 2.45 pm and last about seven hours, during which the Artemis II crew will see both the near and far sides of the Moon. Since space at Orion’s windows is limited, the crew will split into pairs, with two members observing for 55 to 85 minutes while the other pair exercises or handles other tasks.

After the conversation, scheduled to begin at 1.30 pm local time, ends, the Artemis II will make history by surpassing the record previously set by the Apollo 13 crew in 1970 for the farthest humans have ever travelled in space. This flyby is slated to begin at 1.56 pm. Artemis will reach the longest distance of 252,760 miles from Earth, surpassing the record by about 4,105 miles.

With the live stream set to begin at 1 pm local time, NASA's coverage for Artemis II's lunar flyby will commence with a conversation between the crew and the science officer in NASA's Mission Control Center at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston to go over the objectives and timeline for the flyby.