The Artemis II crew is set to make history on Monday by surpassing the previous record for the farthest distance from Earth achieved by humans. The milestone will occur later in the day when the astronauts exceed the Apollo 13 record of 248,655 miles, a feat last accomplished in 1970.
As preparations continue for their lunar flyby, which will take place shortly after midnight on April 6, the astronauts engaged in various activities over the weekend. These included manual piloting demonstrations and reviews of their scientific objectives for the upcoming six-hour observation period. They also assessed their space suits, which are crucial for life support during emergencies and their return journey.
The closest approach to the Moon is scheduled for 7:02 PM ET, at which point the Orion spacecraft will be approximately 4,066 miles from the lunar surface. NASA has indicated that the crew will have a unique view of the Moon's entire disk, including its polar regions. Additionally, they will witness a solar eclipse as the Moon aligns with the Sun, causing the star to briefly disappear for about an hour.
Live coverage of the flyby will begin at 1 PM ET on the same day.