The Artemis II mission has reached the Moon’s gravitational field
According to Hungarian time, the Artemis II mission reached the Moon’s gravitational field on Monday morning, reported the Reuters. The four NASA astronauts continue on the path that will take them to the dark side of the Moon, far from Earth.
On the sixth day of the ten-day mission, the crew is scheduled to wake up at 4:50 PM Hungarian time. They can begin their orbit around the Moon at 8:34 p.m., during which their communication with NASA is expected to be interrupted for a while.
It is expected to take about 6 hours to go around the moon. At 1:05 a.m., the Artemis II astronauts will reach the farthest point of their space journey from Earth. They will then be 252,757 miles, or about 406,773 kilometers, from Earth, farther than anyone has ever been before.
NASA’s latest lunar mission began last week, Thursday night Hungarian time. The crew of four – Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen – will approach and circle the Moon aboard the Orion spacecraft, and then return to Earth in four days.
https://hvg.hu/360/20260401_artemis-ii-holdprogram-orion-urhajo-start-aprilisban
In our opening image, NASA astronaut and Artemis II mission specialist Christina Koch looks out of a main cabin window on the Orion spacecraft, looking back at Earth as the crew makes its way to the Moon. (NASA)
