NASA's Artemis II Crew Shares Earth Views, Fixes Toilet During Mission

The four-person crew aboard the Orion spacecraft completed a successful orbital burn and addressed a toilet issue on the first day of their 10-day mission.

Apr. 2, 2026 at 9:49pm

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A bold, abstract painting in the style of Hilma af Klint, depicting the Orion spacecraft's trajectory as a series of sweeping geometric arcs, concentric circles, and precise spirals in earthy tones of green, blue, and orange against a clean white background, conveying the structural order of the mission without using any text or symbols.The Artemis II mission's Orion spacecraft embarks on a historic journey around the moon, capturing the imagination of space enthusiasts worldwide.San Diego Today

On the first day of NASA's Artemis II mission, the four-person crew aboard the Orion spacecraft completed a successful orbital burn to raise the lowest point of their elliptical orbit around Earth. The crew also reported and fixed a blinking fault light on the spacecraft's toilet. The mission is scheduled to last 10 days, with the crew set to perform a translunar injection burn on April 2 that will put them on course for a trip around the moon.

Why it matters

The Artemis II mission is the first crewed flight under NASA's Artemis campaign and the first time astronauts from any nation have traveled beyond low-Earth orbit since the final Apollo mission in 1972. The successful completion of this test flight will pave the way for future Artemis missions, including the planned Artemis IV landing of two NASA astronauts at the South Pole of the moon in 2028.

The details

After a flawless launch on April 1, the Orion spacecraft, named 'Integrity', completed a 43-second burn of its engines to raise the lowest point of its elliptical orbit around Earth. Prior to the burn, the crew reported a blinking fault light on the spacecraft's toilet, which they were able to fix with the help of mission control in Houston. The crew is scheduled to perform a translunar injection burn on April 2, which will last for five minutes and 49 seconds and put them on course for a trip around the moon.

  • The crew was woken at 7:06 a.m. EDT on April 2 for the 43-second orbital burn.
  • The translunar injection burn is scheduled for 7:49 p.m. EDT on April 2.
  • Orion is expected to reach the moon on April 6 and return to Earth with splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego on April 10.

The players

Artemis II

The first crewed flight under NASA's Artemis campaign, which aims to return humans to the moon.

Orion spacecraft

The spacecraft that will carry the four-person crew on the Artemis II mission, named 'Integrity'.

Reid Wiseman

The mission commander for the Artemis II mission.

Victor Glover

The pilot for the Artemis II mission, set to become the first Black astronaut to travel beyond low-Earth orbit and journey toward the moon.

Christina Koch

An astronaut on the Artemis II mission, set to become the first female astronaut to travel beyond low-Earth orbit.

Jeremy Hansen

A Canadian Space Agency astronaut on the Artemis II mission, set to become the first non-American astronaut to travel beyond low-Earth orbit.

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What they’re saying

“After a successful launch on April 1, NASA's Artemis II mission has begun, with the four-strong crew of the Orion spacecraft seeing Earth — and fixing a toilet.”

— Jamie Carter, Author

What’s next

The crew is scheduled to perform a translunar injection burn on April 2, which will put them on course for a trip around the moon. After reaching the moon on April 6, the crew will witness a total solar eclipse and potentially view comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) before starting their journey back to Earth, with splashdown expected in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego on April 10.

The takeaway

The successful completion of the Artemis II mission, the first crewed flight under NASA's Artemis campaign, will be a significant milestone in the agency's efforts to return humans to the moon. The mission's accomplishments, including the first non-American astronaut to travel beyond low-Earth orbit, will pave the way for future Artemis missions and the planned Artemis IV landing of two NASA astronauts at the South Pole of the moon in 2028.