As the Artemis II crew flew over the terminator, the astronauts described this boundary between day and night as "anything but a straight line." Crater rims along the terminator stand out as "islands" in the night. Giant chains of craters emanating from the 3.7-billion-year-old Orientale basin can be seen scouring the surface, stretching almost to the terminator. This tells a geologic story: these crater chains produced by the Orientale impact event mar the surface of the relatively flat Hertzsprung Basin (center of this image), which means that Hertzsprung Basin must be even older than Orientale!

NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen spoke with media to discuss their mission so far. The conversation took place on Wednesday, April 8, with the Artemis II crew aboard NASA's Orion spacecraft making their way back to Earth.

NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft lifted off from Launch Pad 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 6:35p.m. EDT on April 1, sending the four astronauts on a planned 10-day test flight around the Moon and back.

NASA Artemis is pushing the boundaries of space exploration - and our scientists are already preparing for what’s next.

Future lunar relay systems will enable continuous communication with missions on the far side of the Moon, a critical step for sustained exploration.

Learn how public-private partnerships are making this possible: go.nasa.gov/4t3cbxr

Charlie Crockett's "Lonesome Drifter" marks the beginning of flight day 9 for the Artemis II astronauts.

Enjoy the Moon tunes on our Wake-Up Songs Spotify playlist: open.spotify.com/user/nasaspoti…

Since the toilet issue is affecting the Artemis II mission, a lot of people is asking "where it is?".
I've just updated my artwork to answer such question.
Spot the WMS (Waste Management System) position inside Orion.

The Orion spacecraft’s thrusters ignited for the second return trajectory correction burn to fine‑tune the spacecraft’s path toward Earth.

Splashdown of Artemis II is expected around 8:07pm ET on Friday, April 10 (0007 UTC on Saturday, April 11), off the coast of San Diego.

The space toilet is one of the most essential pieces of equipment on board. The crew has had to troubleshoot a few issues to use the Universal Waste Management System. So what exactly is the issue? Find out in this explainer video.

Moon joy [noun]

the feeling of intense happiness and excitement that only comes from a mission to the Moon

"The Artemis II crew bring us endless Moon joy."

Wake up—it's Artemis II's last day in space!

As the crew prepares to splash down in the Pacific Ocean this evening, they started their day with "Run To The Water" by Live, their wake-up song played by Mission Control.

Changing history, and protecting some really special people.

As the NASA Artemis II crew heads home, Jennifer Gratz and the service module propulsion console in the Orion Mission Evaluation Room are watching every burn, including the final return trajectory correction burn—making sure Orion brings its astronauts safely back to Earth.

The third return burn for the Artemis II mission occurred at 2:53pm ET (1853 UTC), refining Orion’s path for atmospheric entry and splashdown. During the maneuver, the spacecraft made precise adjustments to stay on its targeted course home.

Orion’s crew and service module have separated. The crew module continues on its path towards Earth while the service module will harmlessly burn up in Earth’s atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean. The Artemis II return trajectory is designed to ensure any remaining debris does not pose a hazard to land, people, or shipping lanes.

All four of the Artemis II astronauts have been successfully extracted from the Orion spacecraft following splashdown and are now on the USS John P. Murtha. Next up, they will be escorted to the medical bay where they will undergo post-mission medical evaluations.

Big smiles from Christina and Victor on the deck of the USS John P. Murtha, as they waited to be escorted for their routine post-mission medical checks.