NASA's Artemis II astronauts have surpassed the halfway point to the Moon following Wednesday's translunar injection burn, continuing smooth progress on the historic 10-day mission—the first crewed trip beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17. The crew is on track for a lunar far-side flyby tomorrow and observations on April 6.
Building on the successful translunar injection burn reported earlier this week, NASA confirmed Thursday that the Orion spacecraft, carrying commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, has passed the halfway mark to the Moon. Launched April 2 aboard the Space Launch System, the crew exited Earth orbit and is now hurtling toward a six-hour observation window of the Moon's far side on April 6, followed by splashdown on April 10.
Commander Wiseman shared breathtaking images from Orion's windows, including Earth with dual auroras visible. Track the mission via NASA's Artemis Real-Time Orbit website and watch a livestream from outside the capsule.
Minor post-launch issues, such as a Microsoft Outlook glitch on a Surface Pro device and a toilet malfunction (which Koch jokingly called her 'space plumber' moment), were swiftly resolved with ground support. The mission remains on track despite these learning opportunities.
