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Artemis II crew flies around the Moon and begins return to Earth
Summary
On April 6, 2026, NASA's Artemis II crew flew past the Moon and reached the farthest distance from Earth in history, including a roughly 40-minute period out of radio contact. The mission delivered new science observations and tested Orion spacecraft systems as the crew heads back toward Earth.
Content
NASA's Artemis II mission has completed a lunar flyby and the four-person crew is now on the trip back to Earth. The flight reached a greater distance from Earth than any previous human mission and included a roughly 40-minute period behind the Moon with no radio contact. During the encounter the astronauts made detailed visual observations of the lunar surface, ran spacecraft tests and sent science data and photographs back to mission control. The episode is presented as an update from NASA's Curious Universe podcast and includes firsthand remarks from the crew.
Key facts:
- On April 6, 2026, the Artemis II crew—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen—flew past the Moon and reached a record distance from Earth.
- The spacecraft Integrity experienced a roughly 40-minute loss of radio contact while behind the Moon and reestablished communications afterward.
- Crew activities included science observations of the lunar surface, a proximity-operations demonstration piloted by Victor Glover, and recording impact flashes and eclipse views.
- The mission tested Orion life support and other systems; crew members reported troubleshooting toilet setup issues during early flight.
- The astronauts proposed informal names for two lunar craters, calling one "Integrity" and another "Carroll."
Summary:
Artemis II combined engineering tests and human observations during a historic lunar flyby, supplying images and descriptive reports for scientists and engineers. As the crew returns toward Earth, flight and science teams will review the data and photographs transmitted during the mission; the timing of landing and postflight steps is not specified in this episode.
