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Forum: Exploration: Moon to Mars
Topic: NASA's Artemis II mission (Orion/SLS)

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Message to Edit: HTML is ON UBB Code is ON Smilies Legend	Originally posted by Robert Pearlman on 04-06-2026 12:24 AM NASA release <blockquote><font size="+0">[b]Crew readies for lunar flyby[/b]</font> The crew members completed a plan test of their Orion Crew Survival System suits, performing leak checks, simulating seat entry and assessing their ability to eat and drink. They then turned their attention to the outbound trajectory correction (OTC) burn, which began at 11:03 p.m. EDT. The maneuver refined Integrity's path toward the moon. Earlier in the day, mission control sent the crew the final list of lunar surface features the science team has assigned for observation and photography during the lunar flyby on Monday. Ahead of the flyby, the crew worked through final preparations and held a conference with mission controllers to finalize lunar targets and techniques. The 30 targets include the Orientale basin, a nearly 600-mile-wide crater that straddles the moon's near and far sides. Orientale will be fully illuminated and visible as Orion approaches the moon. This 3.8-billion-year-old crater formed when a large object struck the lunar surface and retains clear evidence of that collision, including dramatic topography in its rings. The crew will study Orientale's features up close and from multiple angles as they pass by. Hertzsprung basin is also on the crew's list of targets. Northwest of Orientale is a nearly 400-mile crater on the moon's far side. An older ringed basin, Hertzsprung offers a unique contrast to Orientale because its features have been degraded by subsequent impacts. The crew will compare the topography of the two craters to gain insight into how features evolve over geologic timescales. Key moments for the lunar flyby include the following. All times are Eastern and may change based on real-time operations: [list]Monday, April 6 []12:41 a.m.: Orion enters lunar sphere of influence at 41,072 miles from the Moon. []1:30 p.m.: The science officer in mission control will brief the crew on their science goals for the upcoming flyby. []1:56 p.m.: The Artemis II crew is expected surpass the record previously set by the Apollo 13 crew in 1970 for the farthest humans have ever traveled from Earth.  []2:45 p.m.: Lunar observations begin. []6:44 p.m.: Mission control expects to temporarily lose communication with the crew as the Orion spacecraft passes behind the Moon.  []6:45 p.m.: During "Earthset," Earth will glide behind the Moon from Orion's perspective. []7:02 p.m.: Orion reaches its closest approach to the Moon at 4,070 miles above the surface. []7:07 p.m.: Crew reach their maximum distance from Earth during the mission. []7:25 p.m.: "Earthrise" marks Earth coming back into view on the opposite edge of the Moon. []7:25 p.m.: NASA's Mission Control Center should re -acquire communication with the astronauts.   []8:35-9:32 p.m.: During a solar eclipse, the Sun will pass behind the Moon from the crew's perspective. []9:20 p.m.: Lunar observations conclude. Tuesday, April 7 [*]1:25 p.m.: Orion exits the lunar sphere of influence at 41,072 miles from the Moon.[/list] When Orion passes behind the moon, the mission will enter a planned communications blackout of about 40 minutes as the lunar surface blocks the radio signals needed for the Deep Space Network to connect with the spacecraft. Similar blackouts occurred during the Artemis I and Apollo missions and are expected with an Earth-based communications infrastructure. Once Orion reemerges, the network will quickly reacquire its signal and restore contact with mission control.</blockquote> <center><iframe width="400" height="225" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Azfx_wRROZM" title="Artemis II Flight Day 5 Highlights" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></center>
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