Artemis II Astronauts to Reach Far Side of the Moon
Astronauts on NASA's historic Artemis II mission are expected to reach the far side of the moon on Monday, venturing deeper into space than any humans have before.
NASA has expressed satisfaction with the mission's progress toward the lunar flyby since the launch on Wednesday. The crew, consisting of three Americans and one Canadian, is on course to break the record for the maximum distance traveled from Earth, coinciding with an upcoming total solar eclipse.
“The Earth is quite small, and the moon is definitely getting bigger,”
reported pilot Victor Glover after Artemis fired a key thruster to exit Earth’s orbit.
This crew marks the first astronauts bound for the moon in more than fifty years, continuing the legacy of the Apollo program which ended in 1972.
Mission Challenges: Toilet Malfunction
While the mission is already returning valuable data and images, the crew has encountered persistent issues with one of the Orion capsule’s critical systems: the toilet.
Since liftoff on Wednesday, the toilet has malfunctioned and has only operated sporadically. Until repairs are made, mission control has instructed the astronauts to use backup urine collection bags.
Engineers suspect that ice may be blocking the line, preventing urine from fully flushing overboard. The toilet remains functional for solid waste.
A version of the Artemis II toilet was previously tested on the International Space Station but is known to be prone to malfunctions.
“Space toilets and bathrooms are something everybody can really understand … it’s always a challenge,”
said Debbie Korth, deputy manager of NASA’s Orion program, noting that the space shuttle’s toilet also frequently experienced issues.
“They’re OK,”
said John Honeycutt, chair of the mission management team, regarding the astronauts.
“They trained to manage through the situation.”
Daily Life and Morale Onboard
The astronauts began Sunday with the song "Pink Pony Club" by pop star Chappell Roan, an anthem of inclusivity, followed by a breakfast of scrambled eggs and coffee.
“Morale is high onboard,”
commander Reid Wiseman told Houston’s mission control center after speaking with his daughters from space.
“We’re up here, we’re so far away, and for a moment, I was reunited with my little family. It was just the greatest moment of my entire life.”
Lunar Observations and Scientific Goals
NASA released an image captured by the Artemis crew showing the South Pole–Aitken basin, sometimes referred to as the moon’s “Grand Canyon.”
During a live question-and-answer session hosted by the Canadian Space Agency, astronaut Christina Koch expressed excitement about observing the basin, which resembles a bullseye.
“It’s very distinctive and no human eyes previously had seen this crater until today, really, when we were privileged enough to see it,”
Koch said while speaking to Canadian children from space.
The astronauts have received geology training to photograph and describe lunar features such as ancient lava flows and impact craters. They memorized the moon’s “big 15” – fifteen key features to help orient themselves.
The space agency had previously shared images of Earth with its deep blue oceans and billowing clouds.
Upcoming Milestones and Mission Details
The next major milestone is expected overnight Sunday into Monday, when the astronauts will enter the “lunar sphere of influence,” where the moon’s gravity will exert a stronger pull on the spacecraft than Earth’s gravity.
If all proceeds as planned, as the Orion spacecraft orbits the moon, the crew—Americans Victor Glover, Christina Koch, Reid Wiseman, and Canadian Jeremy Hansen—will travel farther from Earth than any humans before.
While Apollo missions of the 1960s and 70s flew approximately 70 miles above the lunar surface, the Artemis crew will approach to just over 4,000 miles, enabling them to view the complete spherical surface of the moon, including regions near both poles.
The flyby will last roughly six hours, during which the crew will observe the moon with their naked eyes and onboard cameras. This journey will provide views of the moon’s far side that were previously too dark or difficult to see by the 24 Apollo astronauts who preceded them.
The Apollo 13 astronauts missed a moon landing in 1970 after an oxygen tank ruptured en route.
Future Plans for Lunar Exploration
The Artemis II mission is part of NASA’s ambitious plan to return repeatedly to the moon, aiming to establish a permanent lunar base that will serve as a platform for further exploration.
NASA targets a landing by two crew members near the lunar south pole in 2028.
The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse contributed to this report.
