GoKawiilArtemis II mission specialist Christina Koch looks out the window at Earth. NASA
NASA's historic Artemis II mission to the moon is now into its eighth day. The Orion spacecraft and its crew of four have made their long-awaited flyby of the moon and are starting their return trip to Earth.
On Day 6, the astronauts set a record for the farthest distance ever traveled from Earth, beating the record set by Apollo 13. After, the crew proposed two new names for previously unnamed moon craters: Integrity, after the spacecraft they're traveling in, and Carroll, after Commander Reid Wiseman's wife who died of cancer in 2020, in an emotional announcement. NASA also shared some absolutely gorgeous photos of the lunar flyby, many of which were captured on iPhones.
Last week, the team of American and Canadian astronauts departed Earth in a 332-foot-tall rocket to do something that humanity hasn't done in more than 50 years: travel to the moon.
The crew is Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialists Jeremy Hansen and Christina Koch. It's also a team of many lunar firsts: Glover is the first Black person to be sent to the moon, Hansen is the first Canadian and Koch is the first woman. Artemis II helps set the stage for future missions to the moon, deep space and Mars.
We'll be keeping up with all the latest Artemis II news, so check back here for updates. This is everything you need to know about the mission back to the moon.
When does the Artemis II mission return to Earth?
NASA says the Orion and its crew are scheduled to splash down in the Pacific Ocean west of San Diego, California, around 8:07 p.m. ET / 5:07 p.m. PT on Friday, April 10.
How to watch the Artemis II moon mission
Takeoff took place on Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. ET / 3:35 p.m. PT from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. You can watch a replay of the livestream on NASA's YouTube channel, official website and social media accounts. If you're looking for coverage in Spanish, check out NASA's Spanish YouTube channel. NASA's YouTube channel is streaming its official broadcast live throughout the mission.
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