The four Artemis II astronauts were traveling away from Earth and toward the moon on Friday in NASA’s Orion spacecraft.
On Thursday night, the crew of Orion’s Integrity capsule fired the main engine to propel the spacecraft out of the Earth’s orbit and toward the moon.
On Monday, the crew will be observing the moon for six hours. They will focus on craters, lava, cracks, and ridges of the moon’s outer layer.
There will be a solar eclipse for about an hour toward the end of the flyby, so the sun will be hidden from view as it moves behind the mostly dark moon.
The crews’ observations will then focus on flashes of light from meteoroids striking the moon’s surface, dust lofting above, deep space targets, and the solar corona and outermost atmosphere.
Once Integrity traces a figure eight around the far side of the moon, the crew will be returning home to a splashdown on April 10 in the Pacific Ocean.
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NASA’S flight day 3 agenda
The first of three smaller engine firings, called the outbound trajectory correction, will ensure Orion is staying on target for its path around the moon.
In the morning, Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Jeremy Hansen prepared for the burn, which was scheduled for after the crew’s midday meal.
The rest of the day will include a variety of checkouts and demonstrations.
NASA Pilot Victor Glover, Hansen, and NASA Astronaut Christina Koch, a mission specialist and engineer from Michigan, are set to demonstrate CPR.
NASA Cmdr. Reid Wiseman will work with Glover on the medical kit, including the thermometer, blood pressure monitor, stethoscope, and otoscope.
In the second half of the day, Koch will test Orion’s emergency communications system on the Deep Space Network.
The crew will rehearse the choreography for flight day 6’s scientific observation of the moon.
More on Artemis II
- Artemis II’s moon-bound astronauts capture Earth’s brilliant blue beauty as they leave it behind
- Launch day coverage
- Flight day 2
- Get to know the astronauts
- Mission overview
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