Artemis II Astronauts Complete Historic Journey Around Earths Horizon

NASA’s Orion Spacecraft Enters Lunar Sphere of Influence

Astronauts on board the Orion spacecraft have reached a significant milestone in their 10-day mission, crossing the halfway point between Earth and the moon. The crew is currently approximately 322,000km away from Earth and 132,000km away from the lunar surface.

According to NASA’s online dashboard, the four-person crew has settled down for the night after completing the fourth day of their journey. The spacecraft has released striking images of Earth, including a full view of the planet showing its oceans and clouds in deep blue hues.

The Orion spacecraft is expected to swing around the far side of the moon early this week, a maneuver not attempted in over 50 years. The crew will enter the “lunar sphere of influence” overnight, where the moon’s gravity will exert a stronger pull on the spacecraft than Earth’s.

On Monday, the crew is scheduled to enter what NASA calls the lunar sphere of influence. If all goes according to plan, the Orion spacecraft could travel farther from Earth than any human in history during its sweep around the moon. The Artemis II mission is part of NASA’s efforts to return to the lunar surface on a regular basis and establish a permanent base on the moon that could serve as a launchpad for deeper space exploration.

Source: Al Jazeera