Artemis 2 crew hits halfway, 229,000 km from Earth
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- Artemis 2 crew passed the halfway point between Earth and the Moon, hitting the milestone roughly 2 days, 5 hours, 24 minutes after launch.
- Orion spacecraft was more than 229,000 km (142,000 mi) from Earth, as shown on NASA’s online dashboard.
- NASA released images from Orion that include a full‑portrait of Earth with deep blue oceans and billowing clouds.
- Christina Koch said the crew felt an “expression of joy” and could see the Moon out of the docking hatch, describing the sight as beautiful.
- Jeremy Hansen called the view “extraordinary” and said floating in zero‑gravity makes him feel like a little kid.
- NASA officials indicated that all systems are performing well, the astronauts are in great spirits, and they will conduct a CPR demonstration and medical‑kit checks before the lunar flyby.
- Artemis 2 is scheduled to enter the lunar sphere of influence early next week, a maneuver that could set a new record for the farthest distance humans have traveled from Earth.
Why it matters: NASA gains critical data on operating Orion with a crew in deep space, while the Artemis program validates its ability to send humans farther than any before, paving the way for a permanent lunar base and future exploration and informing design of subsequent missions.
