NASA Artemis II Astronauts Race Into Moon’s Embrace After Quiet Easter
The New York Times • • science
Key Points:
- Early Monday morning Eastern time, the Artemis II astronauts will enter the moon's sphere of influence, where lunar gravity overtakes Earth's pull, marking a key phase in their 10-day mission.
- The spacecraft will accelerate for a close lunar flyby, the first by astronauts in over 53 years, allowing for detailed observations of about 35 lunar surface features.
- At 1:56 p.m., the crew—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen—will break the human distance record set by Apollo 13, traveling beyond 248,655 miles from Earth.
- Commander Reid Wiseman expressed excitement after a preliminary moon observation session, highlighting various lunar sites visible through their telephoto lens.
