NASA's Artemis II Crew Completes Key Burn, Stays on Course for April 6th Moon Flyby

Orion spacecraft on precise path to lunar flyby after successful trajectory correction.

Apr. 6, 2026 at 4:22am

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The Artemis II crew and mission control teams in Houston completed an outbound correction burn to refine the Orion spacecraft's trajectory toward the Moon. The four astronauts - NASA's Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with CSA's Jeremy Hansen - are on track to conduct a flyby around the far side of the Moon on April 6th.

Why it matters

The Artemis II mission is a critical step in NASA's Artemis program to return humans to the Moon. This lunar flyby will set new distance records for human spaceflight and test key systems like the Orion Crew Survival System suits ahead of future Artemis missions that will land astronauts on the lunar surface.

The details

During their workday, the Artemis II crew completed a full test of the Orion Crew Survival System suits, which will protect them during dynamic phases of flight and provide life support if needed. The 17.5-second outbound correction burn refined Orion's trajectory to set the stage for the main event - the crew's flyby of the far side of the Moon on April 6th. This milestone will see the crew surpass the previous record for humans' farthest distance from Earth, set by Apollo 13 in 1970.

  • The outbound correction burn began at 10:03pm CT (11:03pm ET) on April 5th and lasted 17.5 seconds.
  • The crew will enter the Moon's sphere of influence at 12:41am on April 6th, when the Moon's gravity becomes the dominant force controlling Orion's trajectory.
  • The lunar flyby will begin at 2:45pm ET on April 6th, with the crew configuring Orion's cabin at 2:15pm ET.
  • Orion will reach its closest approach to the Moon at 7:02pm ET on April 6th.
  • The lunar flyby will conclude at 9:20pm ET on April 6th.

The players

Reid Wiseman

NASA astronaut participating in the Artemis II mission.

Victor Glover

NASA astronaut participating in the Artemis II mission.

Christina Koch

NASA astronaut participating in the Artemis II mission.

Jeremy Hansen

CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut participating in the Artemis II mission.

Orion

The spacecraft that will carry the Artemis II crew on their lunar flyby.

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What’s next

The crew is scheduled to begin their sleep period for the day at 2:20am on April 6th, and will receive their wake up call to begin flight day 6 at 10:50am.

The takeaway

The successful outbound correction burn and upcoming lunar flyby are critical milestones for the Artemis II mission, which is paving the way for future Artemis missions to land astronauts on the Moon. This mission is pushing the boundaries of human spaceflight and testing key systems that will be essential for future lunar exploration.