Artemis II has entered the Moon’s “sphere of influence,” indicating that lunar gravity now exerts a greater effect on the spacecraft than Earth’s. This transition occurred at a distance of 39,000 miles from the Moon, four days, six hours, and two minutes into the mission.
The mission’s far side flyby is scheduled for 2:45 PM ET on April 6. At their highest point, astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, Victor Glover, and Jeremy Hansen will be 252,757 miles from Earth, surpassing the Apollo 13 crew’s previous record by over 4,000 miles. This marks the first time astronauts have crossed the lunar threshold since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.
In preparation for the lunar flyby, the crew conducted manual piloting demonstrations and reviewed science objectives over the weekend. They also evaluated their space suits, which are critical for life support and safe return. The astronauts have had opportunities to enjoy views of Earth from the Orion spacecraft.
Orion is projected to arrive at the Moon’s vicinity shortly after midnight on April 6. The crew is expected to exceed the Apollo 13 distance of 248,655 miles from Earth later the same day. The lunar observation period will commence at 2:45 PM ET.
A few hours later, the crew will briefly lose communication as they fly behind the Moon. The spacecraft’s closest approach is anticipated at 7:02 PM ET, when Orion will be 4,066 miles from the surface. According to NASA, at this distance, the crew will observe the entire disk of the Moon, including points near its north and south poles.
During the flyby, the crew will also witness a solar eclipse as the Moon obscures the Sun for approximately an hour. NASA will provide live coverage of the event beginning at 1 PM ET.
An update on April 7 at 1:40 AM ET confirmed that Artemis II successfully entered the Moon’s sphere of influence.
