Artemis II mission: Orion spacecraft to line up for moon flyby on Monday
This mission serves as a critical test for the Orion spacecraft and a key building block of the Artemis program, which hopes to establish a long-term lunar base by 2030.
Orion spacecraft gets closer to moon as social media buzzes over mission’s excitement and challenges
FOX Weather continues its coverage of the historic Artemis II launch as the crew heads closer to the moon. Many on social media are highlighting both the excitement and the challenges of the mission, including the widely discussed onboard toilet issue that has since been resolved. Stay with FOX Weather for the latest updates and continued coverage of this historic mission.
The crew onboard NASA's Artemis II mission is hurtling toward the moon and is expected to begin its historic flyby on Monday.
As of Sunday morning, they were more than two-thirds of the way there, preparing to be captured by lunar gravity, the "moon's influence," late Sunday night before beginning Monday's historic flyby.
See the complete day-by-day guide for the Artemis II mission below:
TIMELINE: A DAY-BY-DAY GUIDE TO THE 10-DAY ARTEMIS II MISSION TO BRING HUMANITY BACK TO THE MOON
![Crescent Earth seen from the Artemis II Orion spacecraft.]()
Image 1 of 8Crescent Earth seen from the Artemis II Orion spacecraft. ( )
![The Moon in the distance seen from the Artemis II Orion spacecraft.]()
Image 2 of 8The Moon in the distance seen from the Artemis II Orion spacecraft. ( )
![Astronaut Christina Koch is nestled into a corner of the Orion crew capsule, reading. The rest of the capsule is dark, but her face it lit by the glow from her tablet. Two of her other crew members can dimly be seen looking out the window and floating in the foreground]()
Image 3 of 8Astronaut Christina Koch is nestled into a corner of the Orion crew capsule, reading. The rest of the capsule is dark, but her face it lit by the glow from her tablet. Two of her other crew members can dimly be seen looking out the window and floating in the foreground. ( )
![Earth viewed through the window of the Orion spacecraft.]()
Image 4 of 8Earth viewed through the window of the Orion spacecraft. (Reid Wiseman/NASA)
![Camera mounted to Orion spacecraft.]()
Image 5 of 8Camera mounted to Orion spacecraft. (NASA)
![NASA's Artemis II Space Launch System rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft lifts off from Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center on April 1, 2026 in Cape Canaveral, Florida.]()
Image 6 of 8NASA's Artemis II Space Launch System rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft lifts off from Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center on April 1, 2026 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. (@nasahqphoto / X)
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Image 7 of 8NASA's Artemis II Space Launch System rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft lifts off from Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center on April 1, 2026 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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Image 8 of 8NASA's Artemis II Space Launch System rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft lifts off from Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center on April 1, 2026 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Artemis II marks humanity's first return to the moon in 50 years and will travel to the lunar far side — farther than any crewed spacecraft has gone before.
This mission serves as a critical test for the Orion spacecraft and a key building block of the Artemis program, which hopes to establish a long-term lunar base by 2030.
NASA PAUSES GATEWAY LUNAR-ORBIT SPACE STATION TO BUILD LUNAR BASE ON THE MOON
Late last night, the crew caught a historic first glimpse of the Orientale basin.
A new image from the Artemis II crew shows the Orientale basin on the right edge of the lunar disk.
(@NASA / X)
"This mission marks the first time the entire basin has been seen with human eyes," NASA said on X.
Map of Artemis II mission.
(NASA)
After breaking free from Earth's orbit Thursday, the four-person crew coasted through the void of space on a direct course to the moon, having completed pre-planned, precise course corrections early Friday, with NASA announcing the crew was more than halfway to the moon and officially closer to it than Earth.
TFW your bestie enters the chat.
— NASA Artemis (@NASAArtemis) April 3, 2026
During Thursday’s downlink with the Artemis II crew, the zero-gravity indicator, Rise, made an appearance and the crew’s reaction says it all. Not only an important instrument—the ZGI also reminds the astronauts of home. 🌎 pic.twitter.com/7idIvYiKv4
Throughout the weekend, the crew made final steering nudges to ensure Orion entered the correct orbital slot, guaranteeing the spacecraft would be able to "whip around" the moon.
As they prepared for Monday’s lunar flyby, the crew exercised, practiced medical response procedures and tested the spacecraft’s emergency communications system in deep space, NASA said.
MEET THE ASTRONAUTS PREPARING FOR HUMANITY’S RETURN TO THE MOON ON THE ARTEMIS II MISSION
Orion is expected to enter the lunar gravitational sphere of influence — where the moon's gravity is stronger than Earth's — in preparation for Monday's flyby when they will reach maximum distance from home.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen pose for a photo as NASA's Artemis II is rolled from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Along the way, the crew members — Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover and specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen — practiced zero-gravity CPR and other emergency procedures.
The crew also tested a special exercise device onboard to determine if it significantly impacted Orion's flight path. At the same time, engineers continued to monitor the spacecraft’s life support system, which maintained a comfortable cabin environment during the heavy physical exertion.
Artemis II crew speak with FOX News from space
The Artemis II crew spoke late Thursday to Trace Gallagher, the host of FOX News @ Night, on their way to the Moon.
The crew spoke to Trace Gallagher, the host of FOX News @ Night, late Thursday, and was eager to thank their families for their support for the first time since launching.
NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman peers out of one of the Orion spacecraft's main cabin windows, looking back at Earth, as the crew travels towards the moon.
(NASA / FOX Weather)
Commander Wiseman highlighted the incredible achievement of the American space program.
"This is unbelievable, that we can put our minds to something and pull it off," Wiseman said.
EVERYDAY INNOVATIONS BORN FROM SPACE TRAVEL
Mission Specialist Koch explained how the crew was getting adjusted to living in space, telling Gallagher that she was very comfortable sleeping upside down in zero gravity.
High-resolution photo of Earth viewed from Orion spacecraft.
(NASA/Reid Wiseman / FOX Weather)
NASA released the first high-resolution images of Earth from the Orion spacecraft on Friday. These pictures of the African continent were actually taken at night.
Historic launch
The historic flight launched Wednesday at 6:35:12 p.m. ET from the Kennedy Space Center.
Four astronauts aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft atop the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket launch on the agency’s Artemis II test flight, Wednesday, April 1 from Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
(NASA/Eric Bordelon / FOX Weather)
A few hours before the mission's launch window opened, the mission very briefly entered a "No-Go" range, while they addressed a glitch with the Flight Termination System.
After roughly 45 minutes, the mission returned to "Go" and things continued as planned.
FOX Weather Correspondent Brandy Campbell recaps historic Artemis II launch
FOX Weather Correspondent Brandy Campbell recaps historic Artemis II launch this past Wednesday.
FOX Weather Correspondent Brandy Campbell covered the launch live, describing the atmosphere during the launch as "electric."
Mission control in Houston reported Friday that the Orion spacecraft is performing excellently.
ARTEMIS II BRINGS PIECES OF THE PAST ON ITS HISTORIC DEEP SPACE VOYAGE
After whipping around the moon Monday, the crew will begin the voyage home, set to splash down next Friday afternoon in the Pacific Ocean.