Artemis II Reaches Halfway to the Moon as Orion Preps for Far-Side Flyby

Overview

• Artemis II, which NASA said Saturday had passed the halfway point, is now closer to the Moon than Earth and shared a new image with the Moon in frame.
• The crew is on a free-return path that uses lunar gravity to bend Orion home, with a far-side flyby Monday that will cut contact for about 30–50 minutes.
• NASA on Friday released the first high-resolution Earth photos from the mission, shot by commander Reid Wiseman, showing two auroras and zodiacal light.
• Flight controllers addressed minor issues, including a toilet controller fault, patchy communications and camera glitches, and a chilly airflow, with no risk to the crew.
• The 10-day non-landing test is the first crewed trip beyond low Earth orbit since 1972 and could surpass Apollo 13’s distance record while laying groundwork for future lunar landings.