Space travelers on Artemis mission surpass midpoint of lunar journey, leaving planet behind

A screen grab from NASA's feed, released on April 3, 2026, shows the four Artemis II crew members, including Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, and Victor Glover, as they embark on a historic journey to orbit the Moon for the first time in over half a century, with their spacecraft lifting off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 18:35 EDT the previous day.

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The spacecraft has passed the halfway point between Earth and the Moon, with the crew reaching this milestone around two days, five hours, and 24 minutes after blast-off, prompting a collective "expression of joy" from the astronauts, according to Christina Koch.

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As the Orion spacecraft sped toward a planned lunar flyby, NASA released initial images of Earth taken from inside the spacecraft, showcasing the planet's deep blue oceans and billowing clouds, with the spacecraft carrying the astronauts more than 229,000 kilometers from Earth, as shown on NASA's online dashboard early Saturday.

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Astronaut Christina Koch described the view of the Moon as "a beautiful sight" during a live broadcast, saying "We can see the Moon out of the docking hatch right now," around 11 pm Friday, as the crew continued to perform equipment checks and tests.

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After a dramatic blast-off and engine firing, the four astronauts aboard the spacecraft were able to catch their breath, with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen expressing his awe during a Q&A session with press late Thursday, saying "There has been a tremendous amount of disbelief for me, it's just so extraordinary."

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Hansen, on his first ever journey to space, described the experience as "extraordinary," saying "I really like it up here," and adding that "it's really fun to be floating around" in zero gravity, making him feel "like a little kid."

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NASA official Lakiesha Hawkins praised the photographs taken by commander Reid Wiseman, calling them "amazing" during a briefing Friday, as the crew continued to learn about the spacecraft's operations in deep space.

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Hawkins emphasized the importance of learning and adapting as the crew navigates the approximately 10-day journey, saying "We continue to learn all about our spacecraft as we operate it in deep space with crew for the first time."

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The astronauts' to-do list for Friday included a CPR demonstration, medical kit checks, and preparation for scientific observations, with NASA officials reporting that all systems were performing well and the astronauts were in "great spirits" and had spoken to their families.

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The next major milestone is expected overnight Sunday into Monday, when the astronauts will enter the "lunar sphere of influence," where the Moon's gravity will have a stronger pull on the spacecraft than Earth's, marking a critical point in the mission.

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If all proceeds smoothly, the astronauts could set a record by venturing farther from Earth than any human before, as they whip around the Moon, with mission commander Reid Wiseman acknowledging the enormity of the task, saying "There is nothing normal about this," and describing sending four humans 250,000 miles away as a "Herculean effort."

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The Artemis 2 mission is part of a longer-term plan to repeatedly return to the Moon, aiming to establish a permanent lunar base that will serve as a platform for further exploration, with the crew's journey marking a significant step towards achieving this goal.