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As they began day five of the 10-day mission, the Orion spacecraft was nearly 215,000 miles (346,000 km) from Earth and about 65,000 miles from the Moon, according to NASA. The crew received a ceremonial wake-up call from former Apollo 16 astronaut Charlie Duke, who addressed them with a message of encouragement, noting that people around the world are cheering them on as they continue the legacy of the Apollo missions.
Earlier on Sunday, NASA released an image captured by the crew showing the Moon from a distance, including the Orientale basin. The agency highlighted that this marks the first time the entire basin has been seen with human eyes, although it had previously been photographed by orbiting spacecraft.
The next major milestone is expected overnight from Sunday into Monday, when the spacecraft enters the Moon’s gravitational sphere of influence—where lunar gravity becomes stronger than Earth’s pull.
NASA officials expressed strong anticipation for the event. Lori Glaze, deputy associate administrator for NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission, said the team is fully prepared for the first lunar flyby in more than 50 years. During the flyby, which will last several hours, the astronauts will observe the Moon directly with the naked eye as well as through onboard cameras.
Kelsey Young, the mission’s lead scientist, noted that the exact visual experience remains uncertain, as the crew may encounter unexpected views during the flyby.
If the mission proceeds as planned, the astronauts—Americans Christina Koch, Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover, along with Canadian Jeremy Hansen—could set a new record for the farthest distance ever traveled from Earth by humans.
NASA confirmed that the Artemis crew has already completed a manual piloting demonstration and reviewed detailed plans for the lunar flyby, including identifying surface features to observe and photograph.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman emphasized that a key focus remains on testing the spacecraft’s systems, particularly its life support capabilities. As this is the first time astronauts have flown aboard Orion, gathering performance data is a top priority.
On day five, the crew also tested their orange “survival suits,” which are used during launch, re-entry, and emergencies such as cabin depressurization. The astronauts carried out a full sequence of suit operations, including donning and pressurizing the suits, conducting leak checks, simulating seat entry, and evaluating mobility as well as their ability to eat and drink while suited.
Although Artemis 2 will not include a lunar landing, the crew is expected to surpass the record for the greatest distance traveled from Earth during their journey around the Moon.
As the spacecraft moves to the far side of the Moon, it is expected to break that record while providing valuable data about the Orion spacecraft’s performance. This information will be critical for future missions, including Artemis 3, planned for 2027, and Artemis 4 in 2028, which aims to achieve a lunar landing.
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