In a landmark moment for space exploration, NASA’s Artemis II mission has crossed the two-thirds mark on its journey to the Moon, bringing humanity closer to deep space milestones not seen in over half a century.
The achievement, announced on Sunday, underscores the mission’s historic significance as the first crewed lunar voyage since the Apollo program era.
The milestone occurred during Flight Day 4, as astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft continued preparations for their upcoming lunar flyby. Sharing the update on X, NASA highlighted both the progress and the crew’s ongoing efforts.
“Artemis II just hit the “two thirds” mark of the journey to the Moon. During Flight Day 4, the astronauts aboard Orion went over plans to study the Moon during their upcoming lunar flyby and are currently practicing manually controlling the spacecraft.”
The mission has already made history, with astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen embarking on a journey that pushes farther into space than any human mission in decades. Reflecting on the experience, Wiseman simply said, “There are no words.”
The crew began their lunar fly-around on Saturday and are expected to reach their closest approach to the Moon on Monday, capturing images of its far side. The mission marks the first time humans have traveled toward the Moon in more than 53 years, effectively continuing the legacy of Apollo-era exploration.
Artemis II is also poised to set a new distance record, traveling beyond 252,000 miles from Earth before looping around the Moon and heading back without landing. The current record is held by Apollo 13.
The mission carries global significance as well. Hansen, representing the Canadian Space Agency, is the first non-American astronaut to journey to the Moon. Celebrating the milestone, agency president Lisa Campbell said, “Today he is making history for Canada. As we watch him taking this bold step into the unknown, let his journey remind us that Canada’s future is written by those who dare to reach for more.”
Set to conclude with a Pacific splashdown on April 10, Artemis II is a crucial step toward NASA’s long-term goal of establishing a sustainable human presence on the Moon, with a planned landing near the lunar south pole targeted for 2028.
