The Artemis II crew is proceeding to the Moon, marking the first human lunar mission in over five decades since Apollo program. The four astronauts who are on the mission are Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen. They are expected to conduct a lunar flyby, including imaging the Moon’s far side, before returning to Earth.

 

The mission is set to travel more than 4,00,000 km from Earth before making a U-turn behind the moon and heading home without stopping or entering lunar orbit. The record is currently held by Apollo 13.

 

Their nearly 10-day mission will end with a Pacific splashdown on April 10, which is the first step in NASA’s bold plans for a sustainable moon base. The space agency is aiming for a landing by two astronauts near the lunar south pole in 2028.