Artemis II reaches lunar flyby as NASA issues new mission Q&A

NASA’s Artemis II mission has reached its lunar flyby phase, with the crewed Orion spacecraft on course for a close pass around the Moon.

The update follows an outbound correction burn completed on April 5, which NASA said refined Orion’s trajectory and kept the mission on track. The agency said the first crewed Artemis test flight is underway and that the crew remains on a precise path for Monday’s flyby.

NASA’s flight-day coverage says the flyby window runs from 2:45 p.m. to 9:40 p.m. EDT on April 6, with closest approach expected at about 4,066 miles from the Moon’s surface.

The agency also published an updated Artemis II Q&A on April 5, adding context and corrections as the mission progressed. AP and Space.com reported that the crew is entering the visible flyby phase and remains on schedule for the lunar loop.

Artemis II is the first crewed test flight of NASA’s Artemis program and a key step toward future lunar missions. The current flight is designed to test the spacecraft, navigation and crew systems under deep-space conditions before a return to Earth.

NASA has not flagged any major issues in the latest public updates, and the mission remains on track for its planned return after the flyby sequence.