Artemis II Crew Fly Orion Spacecraft Manually in Deep Space

NASA and Canadian astronauts complete historic milestone during lunar flyby mission

Apr. 5, 2026 at 6:37am

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NASA astronaut Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen became the first people in more than 50 years to manually fly a spacecraft in deep space. Hansen took the pilot seat on the Orion spacecraft Integrity just after 9 a.m. on the fourth day of the Artemis II mission, which is preparing for a lunar flyby.

Why it matters

The Artemis II mission is a critical step in NASA's plan to return humans to the Moon, with the manual flight demonstrating the crew's ability to take control of the spacecraft in deep space if needed. This milestone also marks the first time Canadian astronauts have participated in a crewed lunar mission.

The details

During the manual flight, Hansen and Koch took control of the Orion spacecraft's thrusters and maneuvering systems, practicing procedures they would need to use in the event of an emergency or system failure. The successful test paves the way for the Artemis II crew to perform a lunar flyby later in the mission, coming within 60 miles of the lunar surface.

  • On April 5, 2026, Hansen took control of the Orion spacecraft at 9 a.m. Central Time.
  • The Artemis II mission launched on April 3, 2026 and is expected to last approximately 10 days.

The players

Christina Koch

NASA astronaut participating in the Artemis II mission.

Jeremy Hansen

Canadian Space Agency astronaut participating in the Artemis II mission.

Orion spacecraft Integrity

The spacecraft being used for the Artemis II lunar flyby mission.

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What they’re saying

“Taking manual control of the Orion spacecraft in deep space is a critical skill we've been training for, and I'm proud of the entire crew for executing this milestone so smoothly.”

— Christina Koch, NASA astronaut

What’s next

The Artemis II crew will continue preparations for the lunar flyby, which is scheduled to take place later in the 10-day mission. During the flyby, the spacecraft will come within 60 miles of the lunar surface, providing the crew with unprecedented views of the Moon.

The takeaway

The successful manual flight of the Orion spacecraft demonstrates the Artemis II crew's capabilities and paves the way for future crewed missions to the Moon, a key step in NASA's ambitious plan to establish a sustainable human presence on and around the lunar surface.