Artemis II Mission to the Moon Enters 5th Day (April 5)

NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 1, sending the four astronauts on a planned 10-day test flight around the moon and back.

“Orion will enter the lunar sphere of influence on flight day 5, marking the point at which the pull of the Moon’s gravity will become stronger than the pull of the Earth’s gravity,” according to NASA’s Artemis II mission daily agenda.

During a planned lunar flyby on April 6, the astronauts will take high-resolution photographs, including areas of the far side of the moon never seen directly by humans.

“Although the lunar far side will only be partially illuminated during the flyby, the conditions should create shadows that stretch across the surface, enhancing relief and revealing depth, ridges, slopes, and crater rims that are often difficult to detect under full illumination,” NASA said in an April 2 update.

After completing the lunar flyby, the astronauts will return to Earth and splash down in the Pacific Ocean.