Artemis astronauts preparing for historic lunar flybyThis handout picture by an Artemis II crew member provided by NASA shows Artemis II mission specialist Christina Koch looking back at earth through the window of the Orion spacecraft on April 2, 2026HOUSTON - The Artemis astronauts were gearing up Saturday for their long-anticipated lunar flyby, including reviewing the surface features they must analyze and photograph during their time circling the Moon. Upon waking around 1635 GMT on Saturday, the astronauts were approximately 169,000 miles (271,979 kilometers) from Earth, and approaching the Moon at 110,700 miles (178,154 kilometers), according to NASA. If all proceeds smoothly, as Orion whips around the Moon the astronauts could set a record by venturing farther from Earth than any human before. The astronauts have had geology training in order to be able to photograph and describe lunar features, including ancient lava flows and impact craters. It's a highly anticipated journey that demands exacting precision -- but there's still room for the astronauts to live out their childhood dreams of spaceflight.

Source: Bangkok Post April 04, 2026 22:49 UTC