NASA's historic Artemis II mission is officially halfway through its outbound journey! Since blasting off from the Kennedy Space Center on April 1, the Orion spacecraft has been hurtling through the dark expanse of deep space at breakneck speeds.
If you have been following the mission, you know the ultimate goal is the highly anticipated lunar flyby scheduled for tomorrow, April 6. But where exactly are the astronauts right now, and what are they doing as they get closer to the Moon?
The Current Distance from Earth
As of today, Sunday, April 5, the Orion spacecraft, officially named Integrity, has successfully crossed the midway point between Earth and the Moon.
The spacecraft is currently over 70,000 miles away from Earth and rapidly closing the gap to the lunar surface. To put that into perspective, the crew is expected to travel a total of nearly 685,000 miles over this 10-day mission. During their closest approach tomorrow, they will fly a hair-raisingly close 4,066 miles from the Moon's surface before slingshotting around the far side.
Eventually, they will hit a maximum distance of 252,757 miles from Earth—pushing about 4,100 miles farther into deep space than the Apollo 13 crew did over 50 years ago!
What are the Astronauts Doing Today?
You might think the crew is just sitting back and enjoying the view, but Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen are incredibly busy prepping for tomorrow's massive milestone.
Here is what is on their schedule today as they coast toward the Moon:
* Medical Emergency Drills: Deep space travel is dangerous. Today, Glover, Koch, and Hansen are actively demonstrating zero-gravity CPR procedures in space to ensure they are prepared for worst-case scenarios.
* Kit Checkouts: Commander Wiseman and Pilot Glover are testing out Orion’s onboard medical kits, including the blood pressure monitor, stethoscope, and thermometer.
* Photography: The crew has been sharing stunning, never-before-seen images back to Earth, including breathtaking shots of auroras, zodiacal light, and even a sneak peek at the Moon's mysterious Orientale Basin.
The Countdown to the Flyby
The tension and excitement are building at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Tomorrow’s lunar flyby will use the Moon's gravity as a natural slingshot, catching the Orion capsule and whipping it back on a trajectory toward Earth for a splashdown later this week.
We will be covering the live lunar flyby tomorrow right here. Are you going to be watching the live stream when they reach the Moon? Drop a comment below!
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