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.