Artemis II crew enters moon’s ‘sphere of influence’ ahead of historic flyby
Why it matters: The Artemis II crew's entry into the moon's gravitational sphere is a critical step before their historic lunar flyby.
- NASA's Orion capsule transitioned into the moon's gravitational sphere of influence.
- The Artemis II crew is now feeling the moon's gravitational pull more strongly than Earth's.
- This transition occurred roughly 39,000 miles from the moon, a key distance for gravitational dominance.
The four astronauts aboard NASA's Artemis II mission have officially entered the moon's "sphere of influence," marking a critical milestone as the Orion capsule, approximately 39,000 miles from the moon, now experiences a stronger gravitational pull from the moon than from Earth.
