The Artemis II crew are now closer to the Moon than Earth, NASA has confirmed, as the four astronauts completed the third day of their journey. The Orion spacecraft had travelled more than 152,000 miles (245,000 km) from Earth since its launch on Wednesday.
“We can see the moon out of the docking hatch right now. It’s a beautiful sight,” an unnamed crew member said in a post on X. NASA released the first downlinked images on Friday, showing a curved slice of Earth and the entire globe with clouds and a green aurora.
However, a malfunctioning toilet has troubled the crew. The space toilet, tested on the International Space Station, has been hit-and-miss since liftoff. Engineers suspect ice may be blocking the urine vent line; solid waste has not been affected. Astronaut Christina Koch reported a “burning heater smell” from the bathroom. Flight controllers reoriented the capsule toward the sun to melt any ice.
The crew, comprising three Americans and one Canadian, will swing around the Moon on Monday before returning. They are on a “free return” trajectory, using the Moon’s gravity to slingshot back. If all goes well, they will set a record by venturing more than 250,000 miles from Earth, surpassing the Apollo 13 crew.
Commander Reid Wiseman described seeing the entire Earth with northern lights as “the most spectacular moment”. The mission is part of a long-term plan to establish a permanent lunar base for further exploration.
