NASA's Artemis II crew readies for Monday's lunar flyby : NPR

Key Points:

• NASA's Artemis II crew will make their closest approach to the moon Monday afternoon, surpassing the Apollo 13 record for the farthest distance traveled from Earth by humans and reaching a maximum distance of 252,760 miles.
• During the lunar flyby, the crew will observe about 35 geological features, taking photos and describing them in real time to scientists at Mission Control, aiding lunar science with unique human observations not possible from satellites.
• The Orion spacecraft will pass over Apollo 12 and 14 landing sites and approach as close as 4,070 miles from the moon's surface, providing a full-disc view and gathering data to support future lunar landing missions, including potential sites near the lunar south pole.
• Artemis II is a test flight of the Orion capsule with a human crew, successfully conducting manual spacecraft control, life support system checks, and testing NASA's first deep-space toilet, with minor issues resolved during the mission.
• The flyby will conclude at 9:20 p.m. ET, with the crew returning to Earth and a planned splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego on Friday at 8:07 p.m.