Artemis II to Reach Moon’s Far Side Monday
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- Artemis II is expected to reach the Moon’s far side on Monday, marking the deepest human spaceflight to date.
- NASA reports the crew of three Americans and one Canadian are on course to break the record for maximum distance from Earth since their Wednesday launch.
- Victor Glover said the spacecraft fired a key thruster to leave Earth’s orbit, noting the Earth looks “quite small” while the Moon appears “getting bigger.”
- Orion toilet malfunctioned after launch; engineers suspect ice blockage, and the crew are using backup urine collection bags.
- Reid Wiseman told mission control morale is high after a breakfast of scrambled eggs and coffee and a live video call with his daughters.
- Orientale Basin was photographed by the crew and released by NASA, showcasing the Moon’s “Grand Canyon.”
- NASA aims to land two crew members near the lunar south pole by 2028 as part of its plan for a permanent lunar base.
Why it matters: The crew’s far‑side flyby gives NASA real‑time data on lunar geography and validates Orion’s deep‑space capabilities, while the toilet malfunction highlights hardware reliability challenges that could affect crew health, mission timelines, and future crewed lunar missions, and could delay the planned 2028 lunar south pole landing.
