Artemis II astronauts are more than halfway to the moon
The Boston Globe • • general
Key Points:
- The Artemis II mission, carrying three Americans and one Canadian, is more than halfway to the moon and preparing for a historic lunar fly-around, marking the first moon-bound crew in over 53 years since Apollo.
- The Orion capsule's toilet system is malfunctioning due to suspected ice blockage, leading Mission Control to rely on backup urine collection bags; the astronauts have also reported an odor from the bathroom area.
- Artemis II is set to break the distance record for humans traveling beyond Earth, surpassing Apollo 13 by traveling over 252,000 miles before returning to Earth without entering lunar orbit.
- Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen is making history as the first non-U.S. citizen to fly to the moon, with the Canadian Space Agency celebrating his role in the mission.
- The nearly 10-day Artemis II mission includes the first female and first Black astronauts to the moon, Christina Koch and Victor Glover, and serves as a precursor to NASA's goal of establishing a sustainable moon base and a crewed lunar landing by 2028.
