Let's Dance with the Moon: follow the Artemis II mission with Flight Day updates.

 

April 11, 2026 update

In 1969 as a young boy, I was lucky to have watched, along with the entire world, Apollo 11 launch and land on the Moon and return safely to the Earth. A mission started by the leadership of President John F. Kennedy. Now my children will, in a few more years, also see humans land and walk on the Moon. April 1 was the first launch window, of about 2 hours in duration, for a chance to launch Artemis-II into Earth orbit with four NASA astronauts, three Americans and one Canadian. Mother Nature cooperated, and so did the rocket, launching at 6:35 PM EST.

The Orion spacecraft has just over 355,000 parts, built by NASA and prime contractor Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft injected itself into a flight into deep space on April 2, headed around the moon to return to Earth. We all watched for 10 earth-flight days the successful test of the space craft as four of human kind travelled farther from Earth than anyone in human history. Over 3/4 of all persons on Earth were born after Apollo 17, the last time human walked on the Moon. I am one of the 1/4 persons who were born before Apollo and got to see all of the Apollo astronauts walk on the Moon.

Crew assembling seating and stowing cargo, preparation for reentry on Flight Day 10

LINK TO: 

NASA Video Event: Artemis Crew Returns to Houston 4PM EST (Saturday 4/11/2026)

Moon Joy Video from NASA Artemis II Astronauts

As you now know, the Artemis II mission was a great success, and maybe you also watched live, the reentry and splashdown on Friday evening, April 10, 2026. If you want to compare to Apollo 11, you can visit my post on Apollo 11, The Lockdown Edition. 

Here are the window view stills that I captured in the last couple of minutes as the reentry interface period began. Note that the last image in the sequence shows the starting plasma glow from heating of the spacecraft's heat shield as the Orion space capsule entered significant atmosphere around 400,000 ft of altitude, up to 26, 000 miles per hour.

Crew view about 3 1/2 minutes before atmospheric heating plasma began communications blackout.

Plasma glow of reenetry visible here just before communications blackout.

 The Introduction section has information about the vehicle and the mission. The Flight Day (FD) Activity Updates section has information that I posted during each day during the mission activities and progress.

Introduction

Orion spacecraft. The European service module, the crew module, and the launch abort system (LAS).

The Orion space system comprises the European service module, the crew module, and the launch abort system (LAS). This system made its first mission without crew during Artemis-I and travelled farther from Earth than any previous crew-carry system. 

The full SLS, Space Launch System, from the United Launch Alliance (ULA) is summarized in this infographic from the NASA Artemis II Reference Guide. ULA was formed by a 50/50 joint venture (December 2006) between Boeing and Lockheed Martin to combine their respective U.S. government launch operations, including the Atlas V rocket and the SLS. You can watch the BEST tour of the ULA rocket factory here at the Smarter Every Day youtube channel. A good hour and I recommmend it highly.

Artemis II summary infographic (Click to enlarge)

Artemis 2 will take humans farther away from Earth than any previous time. A Canadian crew member will make Canada the second nation on Earth to send a citizen beyond Earth orbit, and also the second national to go beyond the Moon. The four astronauts selected for NASA’s Artemis-II mission: Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency. You can learn more about the crew themselves here from NASA video: (Opens in a new window.)

 I hope that Dr. Schmitt, from Apollo 17, is still around to one day talk to the next humans to walk on the Moon in the next few years. You can see an interview with him here: Dr. Harrison Schmitt, Apollo 17 astronaut.  Before leaving the moon in 1972, Eugene Cernan etched his daughter’s initials, "TDC" (Tracy Dawn Cernan), into the dust. With no wind or atmosphere to disturb the surface, the initials will likely remain there for thousands of years.

1) Launch and information leading up the launch here at NASA's website feed for Artemis II:  Visit NASA's video feed here. (Opens in a new window.) You can also watch the same feed on YouTube HERE

2) View the location of Orion using Artemis Real-Time Orbit (AROW). 

3) NASA Mission Control Live Broadcast: YouTube Mission Control Live (in new window)

4) There are lots of acronyms in use throughout NASA and you can find many of them explained here: NASA Science Acronyms (link opens in new window).

Current Status: April 10, 3:18 pm EST, under 40,000 miles from Earth

AROW tracking of Artemis inbound to Earth.

Flight Day (FD) Activity Updates

Mission was a success. Reentry was spot on, Friday evening April 10th. Over a billion humans watched the event all around Earth.

Four crew, in red suits left, seated on the "front porch" raft after exiting the Orion capsule. (Still captured from NASA live video mission feed.)

April 10 (Friday): FD10 Return to Earth Day!

Welcome to flight day 10. The crew is preparing to enter Earth orbit and for reentry and splash down, occurring this evening. Planned reentry interface was at Mission Elapsed Time (MET) of 09/01:30 and will last 13 minutes, quickly to splash down. ZERO MET today is 6:35 pm (the time when mission launched on April 1. 

Latest adjustment indicates that reentry may start at 7:53 pm  Eastern Time (6:53 pm Central, 5:53 pm Mountain, 4:53 pm Pacific). 

Crew setting up seating and displays and cargo away for reentry and splash down.

Entry descent, landing: from NASA's mission blog.

Flight Day 10 plan. Click to enlarge.

Reentry interface starts at 400,000 ft altitude, just south east of the Hawaiian Islands, and will quickly continue to splash down after only 13 minutes, off the coast of San Diego CA. 

April 9 (Thursday): FD09 inbound closer to Earth

Welcome to flight day 9, the penultimate flight  day back to Earth. Tomorrow will be insertion into Earth orbital capture and reentry phase to spashdown, planned just off the coast of Southern California in the Pacific Ocean.

The activity planning map for today is shown below.

The NASA schedule for Flight Day 9 is shown below

Flight Day 09 plan. Click to enlarge.

Looks like the working day will start off with some preparation and study of Earth reentry process and procedures and then some reentry preparation begins in the spacescraft towards getting configured for return to Earth. This evening after mealtime, there is a scheduled Public Affairs Office event. Also today is dress up time, the OIG DON blocks seen in the schedule. These stand for (wait for it).... "Orthostatic Intolerance Garment Donning". This is a garment that will help keep blood in astronaut's heads after their body has been in zero gravity for 10 days. These garments basically are like g-suits and squeeze the legs and abdomen to prevent blood from pooling too much in the lower body. Orthostatic Intolerance is the condition of getting light-headed because blood content has tended to transfer to the lower body in zero gravity. A little g-force during reentry would make you pass out. 

April 9, 10:55 AM EST. 

Trans-Earth, 148,550 miles from Earth, 128,849 miles from the Moon

3:12 PM EST, 137,823 miles from Earth, 137,882 miles 

from the Moon

April 8 (Wednesday): FD08 mid inbound to Earth (Trans Earth)

Flight Day 8, and the crew will have more full work day today doing more testing of the Orion space flight operations. 

In addition to crew exercise and medical monitoring for science evaluation, there will be a practice testing the set up of the radiation shelter demonstration. This is a process to fill bags with water that are are set up in storage cabinet walls to create a radiation adsorbing and blocking shelter. This would be needed if a Solar activity increase would send extra Solar radiation into local space. Solar and galactic radiation is substantial and includes gamma radiation and positron radiation and neutron radiation. 

Protons and high energy charged nuclei (HZE), based on iron (Fe) and silicone (Si), penetrate the hull materials of the spacecraft and they then traverse all tissues of the human body, including the Central Nervous System (CNS). They easily breach aluminum as they travel almost at the speed of light. 

Molecular consequences include double-strand DNA breaks, free radical generation and oxidation stress. These mechanisms can work in synergy to harm CNS functions in the short term and to increase risk of cancer in the long term. Earth's magnetic field and our charged atmosphere shields us from much of this Solar and galactic radiation, and even protects lower Earth orbit astronauts. In high Earth orbit, trans-lunar, lunar orbit and trans-Earth flight, a spacecraft no longer has that protection. So the crew will practice assembly of the radiation shelter while they are in zero gravity.

The NASA schedule for Flight Day 8 is shown below: (Click to see larger)

Location on April 8, 1 PM EST. 197,687 miles from Earth, 86,310 miles from Moon

You can read more here from the NASA Mission Blog for flight day 8 

April 7 (Tuesday): FD07 early inbound to Earth (Trans Earth)

The crew will have more rest and recreation time today after their very busy last two days to prepare and to carry out the lunar observation tasks. There will be some medical data collection and a post lunar-observation debriefing meeting with mission control. A session of astronaut exercise will occur as well as main meal and some completely off duty time. 

RTC1 is a potential first burn for a Return Trajectory Correction. This is currently the Trans Earth phase of the mission, on the way home.

The NASA schedule for Flight Day 7 is shown below: (Click to see larger)

April 7 @ 8:34AM (EST) 30,129 miles from Moon, 239, 627 miles from Earth

Location from NASA AROW site. Click to enlarge.

NASA Artemis Daily News for April 7

April 6 (Monday): FD06  Lunar Observation DAY!

At 7:07 PM EST today, the Artemis II crew will be farther from Earth than any human before, extending Apollo 13 crew record by another few thousand miles. 

The NASA schedule for Flight Day 6 is shown below: (Click to see larger)

These are the planned events in Eastern Time (North America)

from Abby Graf's offical Artemis activity blog at NASA's website.

12:41 a.m.: Orion enters lunar sphere of influence at 41,072 miles from the Moon.

1:30 p.m.: The science officer in mission control will brief the crew on their science goals for the upcoming flyby. 

1:56 p.m.: The Artemis II crew is expected surpass the record previously set by the Apollo 13 crew in 1970 for the farthest humans have ever traveled from Earth. 

2:45 p.m.: Lunar observations begin. 

6:44 p.m.: Mission control expects to temporarily lose communication with the crew as the Orion spacecraft passes behind the Moon. 

6:45 p.m.: During “Earthset,” Earth will glide behind the Moon from Orion’s perspective.

7:02 p.m.: Orion reaches its closest approach to the Moon at 4,070 miles above the surface.

7:07 p.m.: Crew reach their maximum distance from Earth during the mission.

7:25 p.m.: “Earthrise” marks Earth coming back into view on the opposite edge of the Moon. 

7:25 p.m.: NASA’s Mission Control Center should re -acquire communication with the astronauts.  

8:35-9:32 p.m.: During a solar eclipse, the Sun will pass behind the Moon from the crew’s perspective.

9:20 p.m.: Lunar observations conclude. 

Tuesday, April 7

1:25 p.m.: Orion exits the lunar sphere of influence at 41,072 miles from the Moon.

Location on Monday April 6, Flight Day 06, outbound about 15,000 miles from the Moon @12:35 PM EST

Monday April 6, Flight Day 06, lunar observation period about 7,000 miles from the Moon @4:30 PM EST. Note the trajectory location view (left) explains the solar-array camera view from Orion (right).

April 5 (Sunday): FD05 (Outbound, nearer now to the Moon.)

NASA Mission Control Live Broadcast: YouTube Mission Control Live (in new window)

The NASA schedule for Flight Day 5 is shown below: (Click to see larger)

There is another scheduled Outbound-Trajectory Correction thrust adjustment scheduled to be used if required today (OTC3). Today Demonstration Flight Test Objective (DFTO) testing will involved testing of space suits (OCSS). Space suits are put on in zero gravity, for practice, and they will have to do this on the last day of the mission before reentry. Previously they have put the suits on for launch in normal gravity. They will also test ports on the suits that allow them to get medications and food (energy shakes) with the suit on. If there was a failure of life support on the space craft, then the crew could wear the suits all the way home.

NASA Artemis Daily News for April 5

Note: at 12:40 AM EST (Monday Morning) the spacecraft will enter the Moon's sphere of influence, meaning that it is more affected by the Moon's gravity than the Earth's gravity. 

FD05, April 5, 2:30 PM EST. 60,000 miles from Moon.

Monday, upcoming FD06 is the close lunar fly-by.

The Day 5, April 5th NASA Artemis II Daily News Conference

Check out Abby Graf's blog post for Flight Day 5 from NASA

April 4 (Saturday): FD04 (Outbound, over halfway to the Moon.)

NASA Mission Control Live Broadcast: YouTube Mission Control Live (in new window)

The NASA schedule for Flight Day 4 is shown below: (Click to see larger)

As of 11:20 am EST, the Orion spacecraft is over 166,000 miles from Earth and 113,000 miles from the Moon. Speed 2,435 M/H (relative to Earth). If required there is another Outbound Trajectory Correction burn (OCT2) in the schedule. Some ready review and training for lunar camera observation seems to be listed in the days events for astronauts. Check in with the YouTube Mission Control Live link. Several hours of feed are available so you can usually zip back and forth in the feed from current live to any activity in the last several hours on the mission control channel. 

Some Demonstration Flight Test Objective (DFTO) testing is on for today. That will be full testing of all the piloting functions of the Orion spacecraft by pilot (Victor). 3 and 6 degrees of angle including traslational up down, side to side, control around all three axis (longitudinal, lateral, normal). 

Location @11:20 am EST, April 4 (FD04)

Note the duration is 2 days 16 hours, but this is calendar flight day 04 since launch.

kpm

April 3 (Friday): FD03 (On the way to the Moon.)

NASA Mission Control Live Broadcast: YouTube Mission Control Live (in new window)

The NASA schedule for Flight Day 3 is shown below: (Click to see larger)

Today the mission is on the way to the Moon after yesterday's Trans-Lunar Injection engine burn of 5 minutes and 50 seconds. This happened as the spacecraft was moving fast on a close orbital pass of Earth, accelerated by Earth's gravity. Additional speed from the the engine burn caused escape from orbit. This evening (EST) will be the first of potential Outbound Trajectory Correction thrust adjustments (OTC1, Blue) to fine tune the speed of Orion to keep on the optimal desired track. This correction is for activity on Orion that can alter its overall speed. Venting of any gasses, or even waste dumps all change the speed in very small amounts but over 250,000 miles can have a large impact on orbital track. A second OCT2 adjustment will happen before reaching the Moon. The MET time scale show hours in 24 hour segments that started at launch, which you recall was 6:35 PM. 

From Public Affairs Office today: the deviation was so small that the OTC1 was a no-burn required burn. So performance and tracking and trajectory control have been very accurate.

The Moon is currently heading to the small blue loop where Orion will be captured by it's gravity. You can imagine that the calculations must be very accurate, and none of this would be possible without the field of mathematics. Orion and the Moon are two space objects that are both very far away from where they will dance. View from the Artemis Real-Time Orbit Website (AROW). 

Location at 11:20 AM EST April 3, FD03. Earth and Sun behind Orion.

Here is a view from one of the cameras on a solar panel today, viewing the back of the European service module and the main engine nozzle and smaller thruster nozzles.

Artemis II mission aft section, view from an extended solar panel. NASA live feed April 3.

The Orion will be in Lunar observation mode later on in Flight Day 6. Orion will arc around the far side of the Moon and will get as close as about 4,000 miles to the spacecraft. The TLI burn yesterday was the last major main engine burn required for the entire trip as the spacecraft is slowly losing speed until it gets closer to the effect of the Moon's gravity. Then it will accelerate again as it slings around the moon but does not enter Moon orbit, headed back to capture by Earth's gravity. This is FD03 of 10 total flight days. At 10:30 AM EST, the craft is moving at 4,185 M/H, is 90,774 Miles from Earth and 168, 016 miles from the Moon. The crew members are humans who have now traveled farther from Earth than all other astronauts except for those (21) who flew on Apollo 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17.  The many more humans who have flown on space station, shuttle, and other current missions have all remained in low earth orbit. 

Flight Day 03. Solar panel cam view of adjacent solar panel and the NASA logo side of Orion, aft.

April 2 (Thursday): FD02

Welcome to flight day 1 to day 2 transition. Later today will start the Trans-Lunar part of the mission after astronauts complete testing underway while in high earth orbit. That will be at 25 hours since launch. FD02 MET +1, or 7:35 PM EST. 

NASA Mission Control Live Broadcast: YouTube Mission Control Live (in new window)

The NASA schedule for flight day 2 is shown below:

Since FD01, astronauts have had a couple of rest sleep periods in the schedule. You can also note times for meal breaks with all the other tasks in play. There is exercise testing earlier on April 2nd, and about 25 hours after launch, the Artemis 2 will do the TLI burn (Blue) Trans-Lunar Injection to head on their way around the Moon. Light blue blocks in the timeline are points of engine burns to control and change orbits and trajectories. Click on the schedule to load it larger for viewing. Testing continues throughout the mission on all the functions of the space craft. This includes its maneuvering systems and components and bracket adaptors that are to be used in the future for docking procedures. Remember that once the program gets to including a lunar module, that spacecraft will have to be docked by the command module pilot to capture in orbit at the moon. The Orion space craft takes the astronauts to Lunar orbit, where they will meet up with the landing system, which is being designed and built by Space-X. The service module and the capsule also have unfolded solar panels that track the Sun and provide solar charging of batteries which means that all electricity does not have to be derived from hydrogen fuel cells, giving this craft more usable fuel. This is a major difference from Apollo, where a lunar module was captured in Earth orbit and then brought to the Moon. 

April 1 (Wednesday): FD01 (Flight Day 01)

There was no substantial delay today (April 1, Wednesday). There were about 6 more days  available for launch. The window on any day is only about 2 hours due to the desire to have the Moon in a specific location relative to the Florida side of Earth, location of Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center.

The graphical plan for flight day 1 is laid out in this selection of FD01 provided by NASA:

Times above the schedule (MET) are starting at launch time which was 6:35 PM EST (US/Canada). PAO blocks are Public Affairs Office events, typically NASA audio/video broadcasts about the mission. Light blue blocks are engine burn events to control the spacecraft. Note there are sleep times and other events. You will see that meal time is scheduled once each flight day. Click on the schedule to see it larger for easy reading.