The four astronauts on NASA's Artemis 2 mission are ready to enter the Moon's sphere of influence, marking a significant milestone in their 10-day journey. As of Sunday, their Orion spaceship was approximately 215,000 miles from Earth and 65,000 miles from the Moon.
Former astronaut Charlie Duke, who walked on the Moon in 1972, gave the ceremonial wakeup call to the crew, reminding them that they have the support of the world. The crew has already taken in sights of the lunar surface never before seen by human eyes.
The next major milestone is expected overnight Sunday into Monday, at which point the astronauts will enter the lunar sphere of influence, where the Moon's gravity will have a stronger pull on the spacecraft than Earth's.
The crew will observe the celestial body with their naked eyes and cameras during the several-hour flyby, which could set a record for the farthest distance from Earth. Systems tests have been completed, including a manual piloting demonstration and review of the lunar flyby plan.
The astronauts are also testing their survival suits, which are worn during takeoff, re-entry, and emergency situations. The information gathered during this mission will be crucial for subsequent missions, including Artemis 3 in 2027 and the lunar landing on Artemis 4 in 2028.
