Historic flight live: NASA broadcasting Artemis-2 mission as it orbits Moon
Photo: the Moon (Getty Images)
The crew of Artemis-2 is setting a record for the farthest distance from Earth while flying around the Moon, and NASA is broadcasting the mission live. The flight marks the first step in more than 50 years toward humanity’s return to the Moon.
During the flight, the crew is expected to set a record for the farthest distance from Earth. Around 02:00 AM Kyiv time, the spacecraft will pass behind the Moon and lose communication with Earth for approximately 40 minutes, as the satellite will block radio signals.
After that, at around 03:35 AM, the crew will be able to observe a 53-minute solar eclipse. Thus, the lunar flyby will be not only a technically important stage of the mission but also one of the most spectacular moments of the flight.
What is known about the Artemis-2 mission
On the night of April 2, NASA successfully launched the Artemis-2 mission — the first crewed flight to the Moon in more than 50 years. The Orion spacecraft lifted off from Florida for an eight-day flyby of the Moon and a return to Earth.
During the flight, the mission had already encountered its first technical difficulties: the crew reported a malfunction of the spacecraft’s toilet after an alert about a controller failure. Following this, the astronauts contacted specialists on the ground.
Halfway to the Moon, NASA also released the first images of Earth taken by mission commander Reid Wiseman after a maneuver that placed Orion on a lunar trajectory.
