NASA confirms milestone as astronauts continue deep-space journey with systems testing and preparations for lunar flyby.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Four astronauts aboard NASA’s Artemis II mission have crossed a key threshold in their journey, reaching a point in space where they are now closer to the Moon than to Earth, according to mission control updates.
Lock in, we’re Moonbound.
Artemis II astronauts are more than halfway to their destination, and preparations for lunar flyby are underway. During their trip around the far side of the Moon, they will capture imagery to share with scientists (and you, too!). pic.twitter.com/T2z4W2XLCt
— NASA (@NASA) April 4, 2026
The milestone was confirmed at 10:59 p.m. Central Time on April 3, three days into the mission. By 11 p.m., NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Jeremy Hansen, had traveled more than 136,000 miles from Earth aboard their Orion spacecraft, named Integrity.
The crew has now passed well beyond the halfway mark of the approximately 252,000-mile journey that will take them around the Moon and back. Despite the milestone, mission leaders noted the spacecraft will not enter the Moon’s gravitational influence for more than another day.
Koch described the moment from inside the capsule, stating, “We can see the moon out of the docking hatch right now. It is a beautiful sight. We’re seeing more and more of the farside, and it’s just a thrill to be here.”
Mission officials reported that flight conditions remain stable, with a planned course-correction burn canceled due to the spacecraft maintaining a precise trajectory. Following an intensive initial phase that included system checks, manual piloting exercises, and engine firings, both the crew and ground teams have transitioned to a more routine operational pace.
Images captured during the mission were transmitted back to Earth and shared publicly, including these photos showing Earth from deep space. The astronauts also conducted media briefings and communicated with family members for the first time since launch.
Daily operations have included a series of system evaluations focused on crew health and emergency preparedness. Activities included testing onboard medical equipment, conducting a CPR demonstration, and verifying communication capabilities through the Deep Space Network. The crew also continued preparations for the upcoming lunar flyby, including rehearsals of spacecraft configurations.
Physical conditioning remains part of the mission schedule, with each astronaut required to complete at least 30 minutes of exercise daily using a flywheel-based resistance device designed for microgravity environments.
The mission began with launch from Kennedy Space Center aboard NASA’s Space Launch System rocket, marking the first crewed flight of the Orion spacecraft in more than five decades of lunar exploration efforts. After entering an extended elliptical orbit, the crew conducted manual control tests, with Glover reporting that the spacecraft performed better than expected compared to simulations.
Despite overall mission stability, several technical issues have been encountered. These included a temporary communications disruption, a malfunction in the onboard toilet system, sensor irregularities, and a helium-related issue in the service module. Mission leaders stated that all issues have either been resolved or mitigated through built-in redundancies.
Howard Hu addressed the performance of both flight and ground teams, stating, “It makes me very happy to see that, although we have some minor issues to deal with, the team operates very well, both on the ground—between our mission evaluation room, our flight control team—and with the crew.”
Looking ahead, the astronauts are scheduled to take manual control of the spacecraft again as they approach the Moon. Plans also include capturing a photograph of the spacecraft using a camera mounted on one of its solar panels, aiming to frame the Orion capsule with Earth visible in the background.
The Artemis II mission is expected to last approximately 10 days, marking a significant step in NASA’s broader effort to return humans to the Moon.
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