Artemis II enters Moon’s gravity
06.04.2026 - 15:22 | Last Updated:
The four-person crew of NASA’s Artemis II mission has officially entered the Moon’s sphere of influence, marking the most significant return to lunar space in over half a century.
Later today, the astronauts are expected to travel further from Earth than any human in history, surpassing the legendary distance records set during the Apollo era as they begin their high-stakes journey around the lunar far side.
The transition occurred four days and six hours into the mission, at a distance of approximately 62.000 km from the lunar surface. At this threshold, the Orion spacecraft is now more heavily influenced by the Moon’s gravitational pull than that of the Earth.
This pivotal moment sets the stage for the mission’s most critical phase: a deep-space loop that will take astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, Victor Glover, and Canada’s Jeremy Hansen to an unprecedented distance of 405.000 km from their home planet. This achievement will break the long-standing record held by the ill-fated Apollo 13 crew by more than 6.000 km.
Over the weekend, the crew carried out intensive preparations for the upcoming flyby, including manual piloting demonstrations and exhaustive evaluations of their life-support systems and space suits. Despite the rigorous schedule, the astronauts have shared spectacular imagery of Earth as seen from Orion’s cabin windows, providing a poignant reminder of how far they have ventured since launching from Florida.
These observations are a key component of the mission, as the crew reviews science objectives for a dedicated six-hour observation period designed to identify future lunar landing sites.
The historic lunar observation window is scheduled to begin at 2:45 PM ET today, Monday, 6 April. Shortly after, the spacecraft will pass behind the Moon, resulting in a brief but expected total loss of communication with mission control. The closest approach to the lunar surface is anticipated at 7:02 PM.
From this unique vantage point, the crew will observe the entire lunar disk, including the elusive polar regions. In a final celestial flourish, the astronauts are also expected to witness a unique solar eclipse as Orion, the Moon, and the Sun align, briefly plunging the spacecraft into the Moon’s shadow before it begins its journey back to Earth.