Artemis II Astronauts Now More Than Halfway to Moon
NASA via AP
Now more than halfway to the moon, the Artemis II astronauts received a salute from Canada on Saturday as they prepared for their historic lunar flyby, pushing farther into space than the Apollo crews ever did. The team—three Americans and one Canadian—is set to reach the moon Monday, capturing images of the mysterious lunar far side as they speed around it. They are the first crew to travel to the moon in more than 53 years, continuing the legacy of NASA’s Apollo program, the AP reports.
Artemis II is on track to break the human distance record, traveling more than 252,000 miles from Earth before executing a U-turn behind the moon and returning home without entering lunar orbit. The current record is held by Apollo 13.
The Canadian Space Agency highlighted the country’s contribution to the mission during a broadcast from Quebec, where astronaut Jeremy Hansen is en route to the lunar rendezvous. Hansen is the first non-U.S. citizen to travel to the moon. “Today he is making history for Canada,” said Canadian Space Agency President Lisa Campbell. “As we watch him take this bold step into the unknown, let his journey remind us that Canada’s future is shaped by those who dare to reach for more.” Hansen, speaking live from NASA’s Orion capsule, said he has already seen “extraordinary” views.
The mission sent its first images back to Earth on Friday. Hansen, along with Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, are the first humans on a lunar mission since Apollo 17’s three-member crew in 1972. Koch and Glover hold the distinctions of being the first woman and first Black astronaut to journey to the moon, respectively. Their nearly 10-day mission, set to conclude with a Pacific Ocean splashdown on April 10, represents the first step in NASA’s ambitious plans for a sustainable lunar base. The agency aims to land two astronauts near the lunar south pole by 2028.
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