Recording was made by a camera installed on one of Orion’s solar panels, showing the capsule in the foreground and the satellite in the distance
The NASA mission has already passed halfway towards the Moon. In a publication made at 11pm (GMT) on Friday (April 3, 2026), the agency released an image in which the Orion capsule appears in deep space with the satellite in the background.
The recording was made by a camera installed on one of Orion’s solar panels, showing the capsule in the foreground and the satellite in the distance, highlighted in the darkness.
“At the time of publication, the Artemis 2 mission is approximately halfway to the Moon”NASA in the official profile of the mission on X. According to the agency, upon arrival, the astronauts will fly over the moon and collect scientific observations from the surface.
Earlier, NASA had disclosed what the crew had done during the trip. In one of them, it is possible to identify the image of the Earth seen from space. The records show the gradual removal of the planet and the mission’s entry into deep space.
The mission also had technical adjustments along the way. Astronaut Christina Koch experienced a failure in the capsule’s bathroom system, with no impact on operation. In addition, the team continues to prepare for the flights, which include collecting data and observing the lunar surface during the flyby.
Artemis 2 marks the first manned mission to the Moon since 1972 and should validate essential systems for future longer trips, including a possible prolonged human presence on the satellite.
Artemis 2
On Thursday (April 2), the Artemis 2 mission completed the maneuver that took the Orion capsule out of Earth’s orbit and on its way to the Moon.According to NASA, it was the first time since Apollo 17, in 1972, that astronauts left Earth’s orbit heading to the lunar surroundings.
A It is a test mission expected to last 10 days. The objective is not to land on the lunar surface, but to orbit the Moon and return to Earth, in a and the effects of deep space on astronauts. Among the mission’s focuses are monitoring radiation exposure, the behavior of the human body outside the protection of the Earth’s magnetic field and the crew’s interaction with the capsule’s automated systems.
On Monday (April 6), during the planned passage around the Moon, the 4 astronauts must photograph the surface in high resolution and make observations from the hidden side of the satellite. After that, Orion will begin its return and should land in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of San Diego. If the schedule is maintained, the mission will mark the first manned flight around the Moon in more than 50 years and will pave the way for more ambitious steps in the Artemis program.
Watch the moment of Artemis 2 launch (3min45s):
