Overview
- The crew, which passed the two‑thirds mark of the trip on Sunday, is on track to sweep past the lunar far side Monday at roughly 4,000 to 6,000 miles from the surface.
- NASA says the pass is expected to feature a short total eclipse and could set a new human‑distance record near 252,757 miles from Earth.
- NASA released a photo showing the Moon’s Orientale basin, the first complete view confirmed by human eyes, and astronauts called the sight spectacular.
- The Orion toilet keeps glitching, with engineers pointing to ice in a vent line, so the crew is using backup urine bags as teams try sun warming to clear the blockage.
- The four astronauts have tested manual controls and set up handheld cameras after geology training, and this 10‑day test flight is meant to prove systems ahead of future lunar landings and a planned April 10 splashdown.