Kamal Ghorui
Artemis II nears historic lunar flyby as Nasa tests path back to the Moon (Picture credit: AP)
BENGALURU: Four astronauts are now closing in on the Moon, as Nasa prepares for the most critical phase of its first crewed deep-space mission in over five decades — the Artemis II lunar flyby.Launched on April 2, the 10-day mission is designed as a full-scale rehearsal for future human landings. It is the first time astronauts have travelled beyond low Earth orbit since 1972, riding aboard the Orion spacecraft atop the Space Launch System rocket.
Crew & mission purpose
The four-member crew — Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen — are testing life-support systems, navigation, and human performance in deep space.Unlike Apollo landings, Artemis II will not touch down. Instead, it will validate the systems needed for sustained lunar exploration, including crew health monitoring, radiation exposure studies, and spacecraft handling in cislunar space.
Journey to Moon
After launch, Orion spent nearly a day in high Earth orbit, undergoing system checks before executing a translunar injection burn — the manoeuvre that sent it towards the Moon on a “free-return” trajectory.The spacecraft has since been travelling for roughly four days towards lunar distance, gradually moving beyond any previous human spaceflight range.
Flyby timeline
- The lunar flyby — the mission’s defining moment — is expected to begin around 12:15am IST on April 7. The key phases will be:
- Closest approach: Orion will pass about 6,500km above the Moon’s far side
- Duration: Roughly six hours in the lunar vicinity
- Communication blackout: Around 40 minutes, expected between 6.15am and 6.55am on April 7, when the spacecraft passes behind the Moon
- Return trajectory: The Moon’s gravity will sling Orion back towards Earth without major propulsion burns
What Nasa is watching
This flyby is not just symbolic. Engineers and mission controllers are focused on:
- Orion’s navigation and propulsion accuracy
- Deep space communication via the
Deep Space Network
- Crew response in prolonged isolation and radiation exposure
- Imaging of lunar terrain, including the far side
The mission will also attempt to replicate the iconic “Earthrise” perspective, capturing Earth emerging over the lunar horizon — a moment once credited with reshaping how humanity viewed its home planet.
The road ahead
After the flyby, Orion will begin a four-day journey back, culminating in a high-speed re-entry — the fastest ever attempted by a crewed spacecraft — before splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.Artemis II is ultimately a systems test. If successful, it will clear the way for Artemis III, which aims to return humans to the lunar surface later this decade.For now, all eyes are on the far side of the Moon — where, for about 40 minutes, four astronauts will disappear from Earth’s view, carrying forward Nasa’s long-delayed return to deep space.
