Artemis II – Day 8 (April 8, 2026)

 Almost there—Integrity is heading home!

The crew—Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen—woke up to the sounds of "Under Pressure" (Queen & Bowie) while 200,278 miles from Earth and 83,549 miles from the Moon, on their way home.

Day's Highlights

Health and Exercise

Exercise session using the flywheel (a cable system for aerobics and resistance training), part of the daily fitness regimen.

Anti-Orthostatic Suit Test

All four crew members evaluated the lower-body compression garment worn underneath the Orion survival suit. Its function is to combat orthostatic intolerance—dizziness or fainting upon standing—after prolonged periods in microgravity.

Manual Control of Orion (~10:55 p.m. EDT)

The crew will manually pilot the capsule into a "tail-to-Sun" attitude, testing the guidance, navigation, and control systems while managing temperature and power generation.

Press Conference (~10:45 p.m. EDT)

Media representatives will have the opportunity to speak with the crew following their historic lunar flyby.

Splashdown Preparations

The crew will begin stowing equipment and installing their seats in preparation for reentry.

The demonstration of the radiation shielding deployment was canceled to prioritize cabin preparations.

Scheduled Splashdown: Friday, April 10, at 8:07 p.m. EDT off the coast of San Diego.

Live coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. on NASA+, Amazon Prime, Netflix, Apple TV, HBO Max, and more.

Artemis II – Day 7: Goodbye Moon, Hello Earth (April 7, 2026)

A Day of Perfect Transition: From Lunar History to the Reality of Return

The crew woke up to the sounds of "Tokyo Drifting" by Glass Animals and Denzel Curry—236,022 miles from Earth and 36,286 miles from the Moon. The journey home had begun.

Highlights:

Departure from the Lunar Sphere of Influence

At 1:23 p.m., Orion officially crossed the 41,072-mile threshold from the Moon, exiting its gravitational sphere. From that moment on, it is Earth that "pulls" them in. A subtle yet symbolically powerful milestone—the Moon lets them go, and Earth reclaims them.

First Images of the Flyby

The White House and NASA shared the first photographs from the flyby: the "Earthset" (Earth sinking below the lunar horizon) and the solar eclipse as seen from Orion. Images destined to become icons of this mission.

Historic Call Between Spacecraft

The Artemis II crew held a 15-minute call with the Expedition 74 astronauts aboard the ISS—Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Chris Williams, and Sophie Adenot. A conversation between humans at two very different points in space—something that has occurred very rarely in history.

Lunar Scientific Debriefing

At 3 p.m., the crew met with the ground-based science team to share their impressions of the flyby while the details were still fresh. Scientists are eager to analyze observations, images, and data regarding the six meteoroid impact flashes detected during the eclipse.

First Return Burn

At 8:03 p.m.—one hour ahead of schedule—Orion fired its thrusters for just 15 seconds, changing its velocity by 1.6 feet per second. Brief in duration, significant in meaning: the first of three correction burns that will guide the crew back home. Koch and Hansen monitored the systems during the maneuver.

The USS John P. Murtha is Underway

The recovery ship has already set sail for the rendezvous point in the Pacific, preparing for the final splashdown. The logistics of the return are in motion.

Preparing for the Physical Return

On Flight Day 8, the crew will test orthostatic tolerance garments—specialized clothing that helps maintain blood pressure and circulation during readaptation to Earth's gravity. After weeks in microgravity, the human body needs assistance remembering how to function under weight.

Artemis II – Day 6: The Great Lunar Flyby (April 6, 2026)

 A day for the history books, filled with emotion—and Nutella.

The crew—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen—completed the first crewed lunar flyby since Apollo 17 in 1972.

Key Moments:

The day began with a pre-recorded message from Jim Lovell, Apollo 8 and 13 astronaut, recorded prior to his passing in 2025—a truly moving passing of the torch between generations.

“Hello, Artemis II! This is Apollo astronaut Jim Lovell. Welcome to my old neighborhood! When Frank Borman, Bill Anders, and I orbited the Moon on Apollo 8, we got humanity’s first up-close look at the Moon and got a view of the home planet that inspired and united people around the world. I’m proud to pass that torch on to you — as you swing around the Moon and lay the groundwork for missions to Mars … for the benefit of all. It’s a historic day, and I know how busy you’ll be. But don’t forget to enjoy the view. So, Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy, and all the great teams supporting you  – good luck and Godspeed from all of us here on the good Earth.”

Jim Lovell

Gemini VII, Gemini XII, Apollo 8, and Apollo 13 Astronaut

At 1:56 p.m., the crew surpassed the record for distance from Earth set by Apollo 13 in 1970 (248,655 miles). Jeremy Hansen immortalized the moment with words challenging this generation—and the next—not to let that record stand for very long.

At 7:00 p.m., Orion reached its closest point to the Moon—just 4,067 miles above the surface—during a communications blackout lasting approximately 40 minutes. Two minutes later, they reached their maximum distance from Earth: 252,756 miles—a new absolute record for human exploration.

During the flyby, the crew observed and photographed craters, ancient lava flows, rifts, and ridges on the lunar far side, reporting color nuances that will help scientists understand the mineral composition of the surface. They also proposed provisional names for two craters: "Integrity" (in honor of their spacecraft) and "Carroll" (in honor of Wiseman's late wife).

The day culminated with a solar eclipse—lasting nearly an hour—viewed from space; during this event, the crew studied the solar corona and detected six flashes from meteoroid impacts on the lunar surface—an extremely rare and scientifically valuable phenomenon.

As the day drew to a close, the crew spoke live with President Trump and NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman.

The Best Quotes of the Day

“As we prepare to go out of radio communication, we’re still going to feel your love from Earth. And to all of you down there on Earth and around Earth, we love you, from the Moon. We will see you on the other side.”

Victor Glover

Artemis II Pilot

“As we surpass the furthest distance humans have ever traveled from planet Earth, we do so in honoring the extraordinary efforts and feats of our predecessors in human space exploration. We will continue our journey even further into space before Mother Earth succeeds in pulling us back to everything that we hold dear. But we most importantly choose this moment to challenge this generation and the next to make sure this record is not long-lived.”

Jeremy Hansen

Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Astronaut and Artemis II Mission Specialist

Artemis II – Day 5: Preparations for the Great Flyby (April 5, 2026)

 So, Day 5 was essentially the perfect prelude: suits tested, trajectory fine-tuned, objectives assigned, and the Moon already "pulling" at Orion. Everything was set for history!

The day began to the tune of "Working Class Heroes" by CeeLo Green, with the crew approximately 65,235 miles from the Moon, and featuring a special message from Charlie Duke, an Apollo 16 astronaut—who recalled that he and John Young had named their lunar module "Orion" back in 1972, thereby bringing a beautiful historical circle to a close.

The day's three highlights:

1. Survival Suit Testing (OCSS)

The four astronauts completed a full sequence of tests with the Orion Crew Survival System suit: pressurization, leak checks, seat entry simulations, and evaluations of mobility, nutrition, and hydration in microgravity. These suits protect the crew during the dynamic phases of flight and in the event of cabin depressurization.

2. Trajectory Correction

At 11:03 p.m., the crew executed a trajectory correction burn lasting just 17.5 seconds to fine-tune their path toward the Moon. The two previous burns had been canceled because the trajectory was already virtually perfect.

3. Receipt of Final Scientific Objectives

The crew received the definitive list of 30 lunar targets to observe during the flyby, including the Orientale Basin (~600 miles in diameter, 3.8 billion years old) and the Hertzsprung Basin (~400 miles); comparing these two features will help scientists understand how craters evolve over geological time.

The day concluded with Orion entering the Moon's gravitational sphere of influence at 12:41 a.m. ...of April 6—the moment when lunar gravity becomes the dominant force acting on the spacecraft. The stage was set for the big day.

Artemis II – Day 4: Piloting in Deep Space (April 4, 2026)

A day full of applied science, practical engineering, and little reminders that living in a spacecraft the size of two minivans has its challenges. All set for the big day!

The crew was awakened by "Pink Pony Club" by Chappell Roan—with Orion already 169,000 miles from Earth and 110,700 miles from the Moon. Now closer to the Moon than to home.

Highlights:

Manual Piloting Demonstration

The most technically exciting moment of the day: Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen took the controls of Orion in deep space for 41 minutes, testing two propulsion modes—six degrees of freedom and three degrees of freedom—to provide engineers with real-world data on the spacecraft's handling far from Earth. Wiseman and Glover will repeat the demo on Day 8 to broaden the perspective—data that will prove valuable for future long-duration missions.

Review of Lunar Science Objectives

The crew reviewed the preliminary list of geological features to be photographed and described during the flyby. A key difference compared to the Apollo missions: those flew at ~70 miles from the surface; Orion will pass at 4,066 miles—much farther away, but with the advantage of viewing the entire lunar disk at once, including the poles.

Second Corrective Burn Canceled... and a Plumbing Problem

Just like on Day 3, the second correction burn was also canceled due to a perfect trajectory. Instead, the team reoriented the spacecraft, pointing a vent toward the Sun to thaw a potential blockage in the wastewater drain line. The toilet was functional, but the crew had backup devices on hand just in case. The second time on the mission that the waste management system has caused a bit of trouble!

Optical Communications: Record Broken

Orion's laser communications system surpassed 100 gigabytes of data transmitted to Earth, including high-resolution images. This infrared technology transmits much more data than traditional radio-frequency systems—a crucial test in preparation for future missions to Mars.

Deep Space Science

The AVATAR payload continued monitoring bone marrow cells derived from the crew's blood to study how the immune system reacts to deep space. The crew also collected saliva samples and continued using actigraphy devices—small, watch-like sensors—to monitor health and sleep. The German DLR’s M-42 radiation sensors also operated normally.

And as a fun side note: the crew took selfies using one of the external cameras located on Orion’s solar panels.

Artemis II – Day 3: Navigating Toward the Moon (April 3, 2026)

A more low-key day than the last, but an essential one: fine-tuning the systems, preparing the bodies, and mentally anticipating the big event on Monday. The calm before history!

A day of transition and preparation—the crew is already settling into a deep-space operations rhythm, positioned about 99,900 miles from Earth, with the Moon lying 161,750 miles away.

The crew was awakened to the sound of "…In a Daydream" by the Freddy Jones Band—a highly fitting choice for a team literally traveling toward the horizon.

Highlights:

Trajectory so precise that the corrective burn was cancelled

A trajectory correction burn lasting a mere 8 seconds had been planned to adjust velocity by 0.7 feet per second—a minuscule yet important maneuver. However, the ground team cancelled it because Orion was already heading exactly where it needed to go. This served as a testament to the extraordinary precision of the launch and the TLI burn performed the previous day.

Cabin preparation for the lunar flyby

The four astronauts practiced the "choreography" of moving in microgravity within a space roughly the size of two minivans—stowing equipment, positioning cameras, and configuring the 80–400mm and 14–24mm photographic lenses they would use on Monday. It was a reminder that in space, even the act of moving requires planning and coordination.

A view of Earth taken by NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman from one of the Orion spacecraft’s window after completing the translunar injection burn on April 2, 2026. The image features two auroras (top right and bottom left) and zodiacal light (bottom right) is visible as the Earth eclipses the Sun.

Lunar science preparations underway

The ground-based science team began selecting geological targets for the flyby. A fascinating fact: during the flyby, the Sun-Moon-Orion alignment would illuminate approximately 20% of the lunar far side—including features never before seen by the human eye, such as the entire Orientale Basin, Pierazzo Crater, and Ohm Crater.

Medicine and communications

The crew performed demonstrations of CPR and choking response techniques—medical emergency procedures adapted for deep-space environments. Christina Koch also tested Orion’s optical communications system, transmitting high-definition video from the capsule to ground stations, and from there, on to Houston. Everything functioned flawlessly.

Artemis II – Days 1-2: From a Broken Toilet to the Road to the Moon (April 1–2, 2026)

So Day 2 was the true point of no return: from orbiting Earth to traveling toward the Moon. The adventure was beginning in earnest!

A mission start that combined the epic with the very human—because even in deep space, plumbing problems still need solving.

The most human detail of the mission:

In the early hours, the crew reported a blinking fault light in Orion’s toilet system. Working with Mission Control in Houston, they successfully resolved the issue before proceeding. Space exploration has its everyday realities!

The Orbital Adjustment Burns:

Before heading toward the Moon, Orion needed to shape its Earth orbit with two maneuvers:

Apogee Burn (Day 1): Raised the highest point of the orbit.

Perigee Burn (Day 2, 7:06 a.m.): A 43-second ignition to raise the lowest point. The crew was awakened by "Sleepyhead" by Young and Sick—a humorous nod from the ground team.

Together, these two burns placed Orion into a stable Earth orbit, ready for Trans-Lunar Injection.

The Big Moment — The TLI Burn:

Following a unanimous "Go" vote from the mission management team, at 7:49 p.m. EDT, Orion’s main engine fired for 5 minutes and 50 seconds, burning ~1,000 pounds of fuel and accelerating the spacecraft with up to 6,700 pounds of thrust. Result: The crew departed Earth orbit bound for the Moon—the first humans to do so since Apollo 17 in 1972.

Interesting Technical Details:

The onboard exercise device—a flywheel weighing just 30 pounds (the size of a carry-on suitcase)—allows for rowing, squats, and deadlifts with loads of up to 400 pounds. A stark contrast to the International Space Station’s more than 4,000 pounds of exercise equipment, yet perfectly adapted to the mass constraints of deep space.

The Science Team Is Already at Work:

Following TLI, the lunar science team immediately began formulating the Lunar Objectives Plan for the April 6 flyby—craters, ancient lava flows, tectonic rifts, and the nearly hour-long solar eclipse that we now know was so spectacular.