![\"Victor](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/victor-glover.webp.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nLive lunar flyby updates for NASA\u2019s Artemis II mission will be published on this page.\u00a0All times are Eastern.<\/p>\n
9:35\u202fp.m.<\/p>\n
The Artemis II crew has completed the mission\u2019s lunar observation period and is now beginning the return trip home. On Tuesday, April 7, Orion will exit the lunar sphere of influence at\u00a0approximately\u00a01:25 p.m., at\u00a0a distance of 41,072\u00a0miles from the Moon.\u00a0<\/p>\n
8:35\u00a0p.m.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Artemis II is now entering a solar eclipse that will last for about an hour as Orion, the Moon and the Sun align. During this phase, the crew will see the Sun disappear behind a mostly darkened Moon.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The crew will use the opportunity to study the solar corona \u2014 the Sun\u2019s outermost atmosphere \u2014 as it glows around the lunar edge. They also will watch for flashes of light from meteoroids striking the surface, which could offer insight into potential hazards on the Moon.\u00a0<\/p>\n
7:24 p.m.<\/p>\n
The Artemis II crew\u00a0witnessed\u00a0an\u00a0Earthrise\u00a0as Orion\u00a0emerged\u00a0from behind the Moon, moments before the Deep Space Network reacquired the spacecraft\u2019s signal and restored communications.\u00a0<\/p>\n
7:02\u00a0p.m.\u202f<\/p>\n
The Artemis II crew has reached the mission\u2019s maximum distance from Earth at\u00a0252,756\u00a0miles, setting a\u00a0new record\u00a0for human spaceflight. This milestone places the crew 4,111\u00a0miles farther from Earth than the Apollo 13 mission in 1970.\u00a0<\/p>\n
7:00\u202fp.m.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Orion has reached its closest approach to the Moon at about 4,067\u00a0miles above the lunar surface. At this point, the spacecraft is traveling about 60,863 miles an hour\u00a0relative\u00a0to Earth, but only 3,139 miles an hour\u00a0relative\u00a0to the Moon.\u00a0<\/p>\n
6:44 p.m.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\tAs we prepare to go out of radio communication, we\u2019re still going to feel your love from Earth. And to all of you down there on Earth and around Earth, we love you, from the Moon. We will see you on the other side.\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Victor Glover<\/p>\n
Artemis II Pilot<\/p>\n
The Orion spacecraft has entered a planned communications blackout as it passes behind the Moon. For about 40 minutes, the lunar surface blocks the radio signals\u00a0from\u00a0NASA\u2019s\u00a0Deep Space Network<\/a>\u00a0on Earth\u00a0needed\u00a0to stay in contact with the crew.\u00a0<\/p>\n Similar blackouts occurred during the Artemis I and Apollo missions and are expected when using an Earth-based communications system. Once Orion\u00a0emerges\u00a0from behind the Moon, the network will quickly reacquire the signal and restore communications with mission control.\u00a0<\/p>\n 6:41\u202fp.m.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n As Orion traveled behind the Moon, the crew\u00a0witnessed\u00a0an\u00a0\u201cEarthset\u201d\u00a0\u2014 the moment Earth dropped below the lunar horizon \u2014 marking another milestone in the mission\u2019s lunar flyby.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The Earth will re-emerge at \u201cEarthrise\u201d from the opposite edge of the Moon in about 40 minutes.\u00a0<\/p>\n 4:40 p.m.<\/p>\n A lively stream of science observations from the crew throughout the flyby has been received with grins, nods, and lots of chatter in the Science Evaluation Room, where lunar scientists are supporting the observations in mission control. The crew reported color nuances, which will help enhance scientific understandings of the Moon. Shades of browns and blues that can be picked out with human eyes can help reveal the mineral composition of a feature and its age. As crew reports are received, the science team is updating the observation plan based on their follow up questions and sending up new guidance to the crew.<\/p>\n 2:45 p.m.<\/p>\n Due\u00a0to last approximately seven hours, the lunar observation period\u00a0is the duration of time that the crew is close enough to the Moon to make impactful science observations (4,070\u00a0miles altitude at closest approach) and the\u00a0spacecraft\u00a0is oriented such that the windows are pointed at the Moon.\u00a0<\/p>\n At the beginning of\u00a0the\u00a0window, as Orion approaches the Moon on the near side, the side we can see from Earth, people in parts of the eastern hemisphere can view some of the same features the astronauts will\u00a0observe. These include future CLPS landing site Reiner Gamma, a bright, mysterious swirl the origin of which scientists are still trying to understand, and Glushko, a bright, 27-mile-wide crater known for the white streaks that shoot out from it for up to 500 miles.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n 1:56\u202fp.m.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Artemis II crew of\u00a0NASA astronauts\u00a0Reid Wiseman<\/a>,\u00a0Victor Glover<\/a>,\u00a0and\u00a0Christina Koch<\/a>, along with\u00a0CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut\u00a0Jeremy Hansen<\/a>\u00a0have set the record for the farthest distance from Earth traveled by a human mission, surpassing the Apollo 13 record of 248,655 miles set in 1970.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\tAs we surpass the furthest distance humans have ever traveled from planet Earth, we do so in honoring the extraordinary efforts and feats of our predecessors in human space exploration. We will continue our journey even further into space before Mother Earth succeeds in pulling us back to everything that we hold dear. But we most importantly choose this moment to challenge this generation and the next to make sure this record is not long-lived.\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t Jeremy Hansen<\/p>\n Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Astronaut and Artemis II Mission Specialist<\/p>\n NASA Flight Director Brandon Lloyd, Capsule Communicator Amy Dill, and Command and Handling Data Officer Brandon Borter also marked a lighthearted milestone today by emailing the crew what is now assumed to be the longest person-to-person message ever sent in human history.\u00a0<\/p>\n After breaking the record for human spaceflight, crew also took a moment to provisionally name a couple of craters on the Moon, noting they were able to see them with their naked eye.<\/p>\n Just northwest of Orientale basin highlighted above is a crater they would like to name Integrity after their spacecraft and this historic mission. Just northeast of Integrity, on the near and far side boundary, and sometimes visible from Earth, the crew suggested Carroll crater in honor of Reid Wiseman\u2019s late wife, Carroll Taylor Wiseman. After this mission is complete, the crater name proposals will be formally submitted to the International Astronomical Union, the organization that governs the naming of celestial bodies and their surface features.<\/p>\n 1:30\u202fp.m.\u00a0<\/p>\n NASA\u2019s lunar science officer briefed the crew on their science\u00a0objectives\u00a0for the upcoming lunar observation period.\u00a0<\/p>\n On April 5,\u00a0the science team sent the crew the final list of\u00a030 lunar surface targets<\/a>, including the Orientale basin, a\u00a0nearly 600-mile-wide\u00a0crater that straddles the Moon\u2019s near and far sides. This 3.8-billion-year-old crater formed when a large object struck the lunar surface and\u00a0retains\u00a0clear evidence\u00a0of that collision, including dramatic topography in its rings. The crew will study Orientale\u2019s features up close and from multiple angles as they pass by.\u00a0<\/p>\n Hertzsprung basin also is on the crew\u2019s list of targets. Northwest of Orientale, it\u00a0is a\u00a0nearly 400-mile-wide\u00a0crater on the Moon\u2019s far side. An older ringed basin, Hertzsprung offers a unique contrast to Orientale because its features have been degraded by\u00a0subsequent\u00a0impacts. By comparing the topography of the two craters, the\u00a0crew\u2019s observations\u00a0will\u00a0help scientists\u00a0gain insight into how lunar features evolve over geologic timescales.\u00a0<\/p>\n 1 p.m.<\/p>\n NASA\u2019s live coverage\u00a0of\u202fthe\u202fArtemis II\u202flunar\u202fflyby\u00a0is underway\u00a0on\u202fNASA+<\/a>, Amazon Prime<\/a>,\u202fApple TV<\/a>, Hulu<\/a>, Netflix<\/a>, HBO\u202fMax<\/a>,\u202fand\u202fRoku<\/a>,\u00a0alongside the agency\u2019s\u202f24\/7 coverage on its\u202fYouTube<\/a>\u202fchannel. Learn how to\u202fstream NASA content<\/a>\u202fthrough a variety of online platforms, including social media.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n Coverage will include live views of the Moon from cameras mounted on Orion\u2019s solar arrays. Image and view quality may vary throughout the lunar observation period due to distance from Earth,\u00a0system limitations, and\u00a0bandwidth across NASA\u2019s communications network.\u00a0<\/p>\n Note:\u00a0The spacecraft will enter a planned communications blackout from 6:44 to 7:25 p.m. EDT as Orion passes behind the Moon.\u00a0Spacecraft camera views will not be available during this time, but NASA\u2019s live coverage will continue.\u00a0<\/p>\n View the latest imagery from the Artemis II mission on our\u00a0Artemis II Multimedia Resource Page<\/a>. Please follow @NASAArtemis on\u00a0X<\/a>,\u00a0Facebook<\/a>, and\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0for real-time updates. Live coverage of the mission is available on\u00a0NASA\u2019s YouTube channel<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n April 6, 2026 1:00PM<\/p>\n More from Missions![\"Jeremy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/jsc2023e016440_alt2~large.jpg\")
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