Artemis II astronauts are inside the Orion capsule as they make their way to the moon. Photo courtesy NASA
April 4 (UPI) — NASA announced Saturday that the four astronauts of the Artemis II mission were closer to moon than to the Earth.
NASA shared photos from the mission on X, declaring that the astronauts were officially “moonbound.”
“Artemis II astronauts are more than halfway to their destination, and preparations for lunar flyby are underway,” NASA said. “During the trip around the far side of the moon, they will capture imagery to share with scientists (and you, too!).
The photos included two images of the moon and one of the interior of the Orion capsule as the astronauts worked and looked out at space.
“We can see the moon out of the docking hatch right now. It’s a beautiful sight,” an earlier NASA post quoting the astronauts said.
On Sunday, Artemis II is expected to reach the lunar sphere of influence, meaning the moon’s gravity will be stronger than Earth’s on the spacecraft.
The astronauts are expected to make their flyby of the moon on Monday, coming to within 6,000 miles of the lunar surface. They’ll fly around the far side of the moon for about 6 hours, taking photos and making observations. During this time, the astronauts will lose communication with Earth for about 30 to 50 minutes.
Tuesday marks the start of Artemis II’s four-day return to Earth, and splashdown is scheduled for Friday.
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