The Artemis II astronauts are bound for Earth after conducting a historic lunar fly-by and witnessing a total solar eclipse from their spacecraft
Commander Reid Wiseman says the Orion spacecraft crew “saw sights that no human has ever seen”, while pilot Victor Glover says there are “no adjectives” to describe what they observed
The spacecraft reached its maximum distance from Earth – 252,756 miles (406,771km) – during the lunar fly-by. The crew had already broken the previous record for the furthest distance humans have travelled into space
The astronauts lost connection with NASA while behind the Moon – the outage was expected and lasted around 40 minutes
“It is so great to hear from Earth again,” said mission specialist Christina Koch as she broke the silence from the spacecraft
US President Donald Trump tells the astronauts that they have “made history and made all America really proud” – and invites them to the White House
The astronauts are due to splash down in the Pacific Ocean off the west coast of the US at 20:07 eastern US time on Friday (01:07 BST Saturday)
Live Reporting
Edited by James Chater and Toby Mann, with science editor Rebecca Morelle at Mission Control in Houston, Texas, and science correspondent Pallab Ghosh
Crew were well-prepared for testing mission, says astronaut
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Image source, European Space Agency
It is hoped the Artemis II mission will help to usher in a new era of space travel – and one of those hoping to be part of it is Dr Meganne Christian, a reserve astronaut with the European Space Agency.
The dual British national began training in January 2025 after being selected from thousands of applicants, getting a taste of the rigorous preparations the Artemis crew will have gone through for moments like losing contact with Earth.
She tells BBC Radio 4’s Today programme the astronauts will have performed “simulation after simulation, knowing what’s going to happen in any given moment – they were ready for it”.
Asked about the importance of this mission, she says: “This is a test flight, preparing us for the future of exploration, preparing us for future landing sites… We are not just going to the moon, we are going there to stay.”
Moon crater to be named after astronaut’s late wifepublished at 02:56
02:56
There was a poignant moment onboard the capsule yesterday when conversation turned to proposing names for craters on the Moon to memorialise this record-breaking voyage.
One of the craters should be named Integrity after their Orion spacecraft, the crew agreed – while another should be named after astronaut Reid Wiseman’s late wife Carroll who died in 2020.
The name proposals will need to be formally submitted to the International Astronomical Union,which governs the naming of features in space – but we suspect they’ll be open to the suggestion.
Astronauts clock off for the night after record-breaking daypublished at 02:30
02:30
Esme Stallard Science reporter
We’ve just heard from the crew onboard the Orion spacecraft, who have bid goodnight to the teams on Earth after a day which saw them surpass a space-travel record.
Mission control tells the astronauts: “We got a sneak peek at your imagery. It is absolutely stunning, we are all completely in awe of the work you did today.
“Thank you so much for bringing us on this journey with you. We hope you have sweet dreams of Moon joy.”
The crew replies: “We’re glad they’re appreciated. We certainly appreciate it up here.”
Artemis II is ‘kick-off for the next generation of space exploration’published at 02:10
02:10
Nasa’s head of science Dr Nicola Fox says the Artemis II Moon mission is all about “doing the work to set up that sustained presence on the Moon”.
Artemis IV, which is expected to launch in early 2028, will land humans on the Moon for the first time since 1972, Fox tells BBC Breakfast.
She says Nasa’s ultimate goal is to have astronauts living and working there continuously, which will pave the way for the “next giant leap in exploration, to send crews to Mars”.
Gravity in control and instant death awaits outside spacecraft, says ex-astronautpublished at 01:50
01:50
Image source, Getty Images
Retired Nasa astronaut Terry Virts, who was formerly commander of the International Space Station, says the crew of the shuttle had to allow gravity to take over in order to slingshot the moon.
He says: “They are in deep space with no way to be rescued, getting the harshest radiation that doesn’t even exist on Earth, surrounded by instant death just a few millimetres outside of that thin aluminium shell.
“The entire 10-day mission is not exactly super safe but basically nothing happened today. The only thing that happened today was the moon flew by the capsule.
“They didn’t do a manoeuvre – they allowed the moon’s gravity to kind of bend the shape of their trajectory 180 degrees and bring them back to Earth.
“So it wasn’t like they had to do a big complicated manoeuvre or docking or landing or anything like that.
“Sir Isaac Newton is in charge – gravity is what’s manoeuvring the capsule now.”
Satellites have been here before – but human eyes have notpublished at 01:31
01:31
Esme Stallard Science reporter
Image source, NASA
Now contact has successfully been remade with the Artemis II crew I am frantically refreshing the Nasa’s photos stream, which will bring us all the images they took while observing the far side of the Moon.
Both the record distance, illumination levels and particular orbit means that the crew have seen sights that no human has ever laid their eyes on.
They have digital cameras with them which they are using to capture the sights – but it is what they saw from the spacecraft that has many scientists back on Earth most excited.
Both China and India have sent probes over this side in the last few years to capture images – so is having humans see it for themselves exciting from a scientific point of view, or purely in terms of human exploration?
Chris Lintott, professor of astrophysics at the University of Oxford and co-host of BBC’s series The Sky at Night, told my colleague Georgina Rannard: “The value of the images coming back from Artemis and its crew is artistic, not scientific.”
And yet, ask any former geology student like me and you are still trained to make observations and sketches with the human eye. Science puts great store by our own inbuilt cameras.
Abbie MacKinnon, curator of the Science Museum’s space gallery, says: “I know we have… satellite imagery and everything like that. It’s just not the same as humans there deciding what images to take and what looks good.”
Now contact has successfully been remade with the Artemis II crew I am frantically refreshing the Nasa’s photos stream, which will bring us all the images they took while observing the far side of the Moon.
Both the record distance, illumination levels and particular orbit means that the crew have seen sights that no human has ever laid their eyes on.
They have digital cameras with them which they are using to capture the sights – but it is what they saw from the spacecraft that has many scientists back on Earth most excited.
Both China and India have sent probes over this side in the last few years to capture images – so is having humans see it for themselves exciting from a scientific point of view, or purely in terms of human exploration?
Chris Lintott, professor of astrophysics at the University of Oxford and co-host of BBC’s series The Sky at Night, told my colleague Georgina Rannard: “The value of the images coming back from Artemis and its crew is artistic, not scientific.”
And yet, ask any former geology student like me and you are still trained to make observations and sketches with the human eye. Science puts great store by our own inbuilt cameras.
Abbie MacKinnon, curator of the Science Museum’s space gallery, says: “I know we have… satellite imagery and everything like that. It’s just not the same as humans there deciding what images to take and what looks good.”
Key moments from the Artemis II lunar fly-bypublished at 00:56
00:56
Media caption,
Watch: Artemis II mission loses contact with Earth for 40 minutes
It has been a historic day for the Artemis II crew, who are now bound for Earth after completing a fly-by of the Moon. Here’s what has happened over the past few hours:
While flying behind the Moon, the Orion spacecraft also reached its maximum distance from Earth – a new record for the furthest distance travelled by humans from our home planet
The new record has been set at 252,756 miles (406,771km)
As the four astronauts began the process of sending all their data from the past seven hours of observation to Earth, they also received a call from US President Donald Trump – you can read a recap of their conversation here
Amazing and busy day for Nasa’s scientistspublished at 00:37
00:37
Rebecca Morelle Science editor
We spoke to Nasa’s head of science Dr Nicola Fox after the fly-by.
She said it had been an amazing – and very busy – day for the science team here at mission control.
The astronauts have spent years preparing for this part of the mission, studying lunar science with the team here – and Fox said the crew had aced their test, providing fantastic lunar observations.
As a solar scientist, she was particularly excited about the eclipse.
She’s gazed at many of these celestial events, but said this one, with such an unusual vantage point, looked very different from any she’d seen on Earth.
What the Artemis astronauts said after regaining communication with Earthpublished at 00:23
00:23
There was much anticipation during the 40 minutes when Orion was not able to contact Earth.
After the Artemis crew returned from the far side of the moon, mission specialist Christina Koch broke the silence.
Here is what Koch said:
“Houston, Integrity, comm check.
It is so great to hear from Earth again…
To Asia, Africa and Oceana, we are looking back at you, we hear you can look up and see the moon right now. We see you too.
When we burned this bird towards the moon, I said that we do not leave Earth, but we choose it and that is true.
We will explore, we will build, we will build ships, we will visit again.
We will construct science outposts. We will drive rovers, we will do radio astronomy, we will found companies, we will bolster industry.
We will inspire but ultimately we will always choose Earth.
We will always choose each other.”
The long journey homepublished at 23:55
23:55
After travelling a record-breaking 252,756 miles (406,771km) from Earth and circling past the moon, the Artemis II astronauts are on their way home.
It will take them about four days to journey back, with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the west coast of the US expected at 20:07 eastern US time 10 April (01:07 BST 11 April).
Teams will collect the astronauts from the water in helicopters and take them to the a nearby US Navy ship.
They will have medical checks aboard the ship as they head back towards land, Nasa says.
Trump tells astronauts ‘you’ve made history’ – a recap of his call to spacepublished at 23:16
23:16
Image source, NASA
US President Donald Trump had a short conversation with the four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft. As a microphone floated in front of the astronauts on their journey back to Earth, Trump praised the crew for their achievements.
He told the Artemis II crew that they had “made history” by breaking the record for the furthest distance travelled from planet Earth
Astronaut Victor Glover told the US president that he said “a little prayer” when the spacecraft briefly lost contact with Nasa, while Commander Reid Wiseman said they had seen sights “that no human has ever seen”
Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen also gave a special thanks to Trump on behalf of Canada; Trump responded by saying he had spoken to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and former Canadian ice hockey player Wayne Gretzky, who had both expressed how proud they were of Hansen and the Artemis II crew
The president invited the four astronauts to the White House once they return to Earth – he said he rarely asks for autographs, but he wanted to get theirs
Trump invites crew to White Housepublished at 22:44
22:44
Before the call ended, Trump said he will be seeing the Artemis crew at the White House once the mission is complete.
“I’ve been pretty busy also, as you know, but I will absolutely find the time,” Trump said, before adding he would like to give “a big salute on behalf of the American people and beyond that”.
“Thank you for that, Mr President,” pilot Victor Glover replied.
‘Saw sights that no human has ever seen’published at 22:39
22:39
Trump continues with questions, asking the crew: “What is the most unforgettable part of this really historic day?”
Commander Reid Wiseman was the first to respond, and starts by saying that the call from the president was “certainly very special to all of us”.
“We saw sights that no human has ever seen, not even Apollo, and that was amazing for us,” said Wiseman.
He went on to explain the crew’s observations of the solar eclipse, and said all four of the crew had commented on how “excited we are to watch this nation and this planet become a two-planet species” in reference to goals of future ventures to Mars.
Trump asks crew what it was like to lose contact with Earthpublished at 22:36
22:36
Trump asks the Artemis crew: “What was your feeling when you had no communication all of a sudden?”
Astronaut Victor Glover answers by saying he said “a little prayer” but then had to keep working to record scientific observations of the far side of the moon.
“We were busy up here and working really hard, and I must say it was actually quite nice,” Glover adds.
Trump congratulates Artemis crew and Nasapublished at 22:31
22:31
Trump continues and says: “Humans have really never seen anything quite like what you’re doing.”
“It’s really special.”
He then congratulates each crew member of the Artemis crew and the entire team at Nasa.
Trump speaking to Artemis II crew nowpublished at 22:29
22:29
US President Donald Trump is speaking directly to the crew aboard Artemis II in a surprise appearance.
“Today, you’ve made history and made all America really proud, incredibly proud,” he tells the four astronauts.
“We have a lot of things to be proud of lately, but this is… there’s nothing like what you’re doing, circling around the moon for the first time in more than a half century, and breaking the all time record for the farthest distance from planet Earth.”
Image source, NASA
Watch the moment Artemis II regains contact with Earthpublished at 22:12
22:12
Eclipse observation period endspublished at 21:46
21:46
The Nasa science crew has just signed off, thanking the Artemis II crew for their observations.
Mission control says the solar eclipse observation period has closed, and the team aboard the Orion spacecraft will now begin “down-linking” all of the images and data they have captured over the past seven hours of observation.
Not enough adjectives to describe observations, astronaut sayspublished at 21:32
21:32
Artemis II pilot Victor Glover has just told the crew on the ground that what the four astronauts are currently seeing is “truly hard to describe”.
“I know this observation won’t be of any scientific value but I’m really glad we launched on April 1st, because humans have probably not evolved to see what we are seeing,” he tells them.
Commander Reid Wiseman jumped in with his observations:
“It’s just indescribable. No matter how long we look at this, our brains are not processing this image in front of us. It is absolutely spectacular, surreal… there’s no adjectives, I’m going to need to invent some new ones, there’s absolutely no words to describe what we are looking at out this window.”
As Glover described something he said was orange, the crew on the ground said the reddish object was likely Mars.
“Good opportunity to look to the future of where we’re going,” mission control tells the four aboard the Orion spacecraft.
The crew joked they wanted 20 new superlatives added to the mission summary tomorrow, to assist with their descriptions.
‘The Earth is so bright out there’published at 21:24
21:24
Earlier we heard Nasa astronaut Victor Glover describe what he was seeing during the solar eclipse period as “sci-fi” and “unreal”. He also described the view of the corona of the sun.
Here is what he said:
“This continues to be unreal.
The Sun has gone behind the Moon and the corona is still visible, and it’s bright and creates a halo almost around the entire moon.
But when you get to the Earth side, it’s the Earth shine that’s already shown.
I mean almost seconds after the Sun set behind the Moon, you could see Earth shine.
The Earth is so bright out there and the Moon is just hanging in front of us.
This black orb out in front of us now, not the blackness but the grey that blends and drifts into the blackness. We can see stars and planets behind it.
Christina is in window one, Reid is in window two with the long lens and Jeremy is describing it in window three.
It is quite an impressive sight.
You can still see the horizon with a brighter… where the sun set on that side of the Moon. And the Earth shine is very distinct and it creates quite an impressive visual illusion.
Wow it’s amazing.”
Image caption,An image of the solar eclipse
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From space
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Click the link belowfor the complete article (differs slightly:
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Image source, European Space AgencyEsme Stallard
Media caption,
Rebecca Morelle
From space
James' World 2 
Apr 07, 2026 @ 08:53:55
Interesting read,
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Apr 07, 2026 @ 09:03:36
Put yourself in the capsule, it is exiting! Thanks!
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