Humanity is about to push deeper into space than ever before, with Artemis II carrying astronauts further from Earth than any humans in history during a lunar flyby this morning.
The mission’s four astronauts — three Americans and one Canadian — are due to skim past the Moon’s far side, photograph territory never visible from Earth, then slingshot back home without landing.
The flyby marks the furthest humans have ever travelled from our home planet and is being closely watched by space enthusiasts across the world, including here in New Zealand.
NASA’s live coverage of the lunar encounter begins at 5am (NZ time), available to watch below.
What’s happening today (NZ time)
At around 6am, the crew is expected to pass Apollo 13’s distance record, becoming the most distant humans in history.
At 6.15am, inside Orion, the astronauts reconfigure the cabin in preparation for the flyby, and by 6.45am, the lunar observation period begins, giving the crew their first sustained views of the Moon up close — including the rarely seen far side.
By 10.47am, Orion slips behind the Moon, cutting off all communications with Earth for around 40 minutes — one of the most nerve‑testing phases of the mission.
At 11.02am, the spacecraft makes its closest approach to the lunar surface. Just minutes later at 11.05am, the crew reaches their maximum distance from Earth, further than any human has ever been.
Between 12.35pm and 1.32pm, from Orion’s perspective, the Moon eclipses the Sun, plunging the spacecraft into darkness as it passes through the Moon’s shadow. The lunar observation window wraps up at 1.20pm.
At 2.50pm, the astronauts are expected to appear live in a downlink event, sharing their first detailed reactions to the historic flyby.
The crew’s sleep period begins at 6.05pm tonight.
The three Americans and one Canadian will swing around the moon in their Orion capsule, hang a U-turn and then head straight back home without stopping. (Source: Supplied)
No landing — just a U‑turn
The Artemis II mission is a dress rehearsal for future Moon landings. Orion will not orbit or land on the Moon — instead, the spacecraft will hurtle thousands of kilometres past it, execute a precise U‑turn and head straight back to Earth.
By Wednesday morning (NZ time), Orion will be firmly on its homeward trajectory, leaving the Moon behind as the mission shifts into its return phase.
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