Artemis II toilet acts up again as astronauts speed toward the moon to break Apollo 13's record
WRAL • • science
Key Points:
- The Artemis II mission, carrying three Americans and one Canadian astronaut, is now over halfway to the moon and preparing for a historic lunar fly-around, marking the first moon-bound crew in more than 53 years since Apollo.
- The Orion capsule's toilet has malfunctioned since liftoff, with engineers suspecting ice blockage; astronauts are using backup urine collection bags while the issue is addressed, though the toilet remains functional for solid waste.
- Artemis II aims to set a new distance record for humans traveling beyond 252,000 miles from Earth before returning without entering lunar orbit, surpassing the Apollo 13 record.
- Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen is making history as the first non-U.S. citizen to fly to the moon, with NASA astronauts including the first female (Christina Koch) and first Black (Victor Glover) lunar travelers since Apollo 17 in 1972.
- The nearly 10-day Artemis II mission is a precursor to NASA’s goal of establishing a sustainable moon base, targeting a lunar south pole landing by two astronauts in 2028.
