{"id":42590,"date":"2026-04-06T06:15:02","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T06:15:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=42590"},"modified":"2026-04-06T06:15:02","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T06:15:02","slug":"for-artemis-ii-astronauts-pull-of-moons-gravity-is-now-stronger-than-earths","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=42590","title":{"rendered":"For Artemis II astronauts, pull of moon&#8217;s gravity is now stronger than Earth&#8217;s"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p id=\"anchor-b40680\" class=\"body-graf\">It\u2019s official: The Artemis II astronauts have arrived in the moon\u2019s cosmic neighborhood.<\/p>\n<p><button class=\"styles_subscriptionCTA__LOUeY\" id=\"subscriptionCTA\" type=\"button\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,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\" alt=\"NBC News Icon\" class=\"styles_icon__wRwWv\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"styles_textWrapper__vxvko\">\n<p class=\"styles_text__daaVB styles_textLarge__qlzwu\">Subscribe to read this story ad-free    <\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_text__daaVB\">Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/rockcms\/2026-01\/arrow-f55fa5.svg\" alt=\"arrow\" class=\"styles_arrow__tnruW\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/button><\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-65466c\" class=\"body-graf\">The crew\u2019s Orion capsule entered what\u2019s known as the lunar sphere of influence at around 12:41 a.m. ET Monday, crossing into the region of space where the moon\u2019s gravitational pull is stronger than the pull of Earth\u2019s.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-daec33\" class=\"body-graf\">\u201cThat\u2019s a significant milestone on our mission,\u201d NASA flight director Rick Henfling said Sunday in a news briefing.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-4fdf04\" class=\"body-graf\">The lunar sphere of influence isn\u2019t a physical or tangible border. Rather, it\u2019s a mathematical boundary that signifies that the astronauts are in the moon\u2019s vicinity.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-076bd3\" class=\"body-graf\">Crossing the threshold is a major achievement for NASA. It\u2019s the first time that astronauts have entered the lunar sphere of influence in more than half a century, since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-af5829\" class=\"body-graf\">On Sunday, the astronauts beamed back a photo showing \u201cone last look at Earth before we reach the Moon.&#8221; The picture shows the planet as a distant crescent framed by the Orion spacecraft\u2019s window.<\/p>\n<section id=\"anchor-672899\" class=\"embed-widget embedWidget embed-widget--medium\" data-testid=\"embed-widget\"\/>\n<p id=\"anchor-d198f1\" class=\"body-graf\">The crew of Artemis II \u2014 NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch and Victor Glover and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen \u2014 started their day Sunday with a <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NASAArtemis\/status\/2040830806063468807?s=20\" target=\"_blank\">wake-up message from Apollo 16 astronaut Charlie Duke<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-11f29a\" class=\"body-graf\">\u201cJohn Young and I landed on the moon in 1972 in a lunar module we named Orion,\u201d Duke said in the recorded message. \u201cI\u2019m glad to see a different kind of Orion helping return humans to the moon as America charts the course to the lunar surface.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"styles_inlineImage__FvnTh styles_medium__MEKii\" id=\"anchor-037012\"><picture class=\"styles_image__i32F7\" data-testid=\"picture\" data-flavor=\"fit\" data-original-height=\"1467\" data-original-width=\"2200\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2026-04\/260403-ARTEMIS-aa-120-d48321.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-04\/260403-ARTEMIS-aa-120-d48321.jpg 1x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2026-04\/260403-ARTEMIS-aa-120-d48321.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-04\/260403-ARTEMIS-aa-120-d48321.jpg 1x\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-04\/260403-ARTEMIS-aa-120-d48321.jpg\" alt=\"Artemis II crew members Jeremy Hansen, Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, and Victor Glover answer questions from reporters during the first downlink event of their mission. April 2, 2026.\" height=\"1467\" width=\"2200\"\/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"caption styles_caption__TCewG\" data-testid=\"caption\"><span class=\"caption__container\" data-testid=\"caption__container\">Artemis II crew members, from left, Jeremy Hansen, Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch and Victor Glover answer questions from reporters Thursday.<\/span><span class=\"caption__source\" data-testid=\"caption__source\">NASA<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"anchor-d1949e\" class=\"body-graf\">Later, Wiseman, Koch, Glover and Hansen spent time testing their spacesuits, which were newly designed for this flight. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-e262f4\" class=\"body-graf\">The astronauts wear the orange spacesuits during launch and re-entry, but the suits can also be worn in emergencies to provide crew members with a breathable atmosphere for up to six days if the Orion capsule loses pressurization, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/artemis\/nasas-artemis-ii-moon-mission-daily-agenda\/\" target=\"_blank\">according to NASA<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-a6f2a1\" class=\"body-graf\">The Orion spacecraft also executed a 14-second-long engine burn Sunday to keep the capsule on the correct path around the moon. Although other correction burns like that had been planned for other days, Henfling said this was the first time one was actually necessary since the astronauts left Earth&#8217;s orbit.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-cc2a23\" class=\"body-graf\">\u201cWe found that Orion was on such a pinpoint trajectory that we didn\u2019t need to do the first two correction maneuvers,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-b3c592\" class=\"body-graf\">The astronauts are set to swing around the moon later Monday, reaching an estimated distance of 252,760 miles from Earth \u2014 the farthest any humans have ventured from our home planet. They are expected to break the Apollo 13 crew\u2019s distance record of 248,655 miles.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-d83aa1\" class=\"body-graf\">During Monday\u2019s lunar flyby, Wiseman, Koch, Glover and Hansen will conduct observations of the moon and capture photos for about seven hours, starting at 2:45 p.m. ET. The observations will include parts of the moon\u2019s surface that haven\u2019t been seen before by human eyes. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-6a874a\" class=\"body-graf\">NASA will offer live coverage of the flyby starting at 1 p.m. ET.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-bdc9d7\" class=\"body-graf\">At the Orion spacecraft&#8217;s closest approach to the moon around 7 p.m. ET, NASA estimates, it will be 4,070 miles from the moon\u2019s surface.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-014ffc\" class=\"body-graf\">The astronauts plan to snap photos with two Nikon D5 cameras and a Nikon Z9 camera, NASA officials said.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-d66263\" class=\"body-graf\">Among the 30 science targets set out for the mission, the astronauts will focus on the Orientale basin, a 3.8 billion-year-old crater that formed when a large object smashed into the moon\u2019s surface. The nearly 600-mile-wide basin, which stretches across the moon\u2019s near and far sides, still has distinct geological features from the ancient collision, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/blogs\/missions\/2026\/04\/05\/artemis-ii-flight-day-5-crew-demos-suits-readies-for-lunar-flyby\/\" target=\"_blank\">according to NASA<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-0dc6b6\" class=\"body-graf\">The crew will also study the Hertzsprung basin on the moon\u2019s far side, northwest of Orientale. Unlike the more pristine Orientale basin, features in this 400-mile-wide crater have been degraded by subsequent lunar impacts, NASA said. Observing both targets will give the crew and scientists on Earth a chance to compare how the moon\u2019s topography changes over time.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-b46fdd\" class=\"body-graf\">A software tool will guide the crew&#8217;s observations of the science targets.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-a993b5\" class=\"body-graf\">,Kelsey Young, the Artemis II lunar science lead, said the schedule is \u201cjam-packed.\u201d Still, there is flexibility to improvise, she said: \u201cThey are the field scientists, and they are encouraged to go off-book if what they\u2019re seeing in front of them really compels them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-e8637d\" class=\"body-graf\">Near the end of their lunar observation period, the astronauts will experience a roughly hourlong solar eclipse from space. The sun will start to pass behind the moon at 8:35 p.m. ET, blocking its light from the perspective of the Orion capsule. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-e5613d\" class=\"body-graf\">During that time, the moon will appear mostly dark, which will give the astronauts a chance to observe the sun\u2019s corona and look for flashes of light from rocky objects smacking into the moon. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-171cbb\" class=\"body-graf\">The astronauts will also have a chance to take pictures of other planets that could be visible during the eclipse, including Mercury, Venus, Mars and Saturn, Young said.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-c96427\" class=\"body-graf\">She emphasized that the crew has a unique opportunity as the first humans to see the moon from those vantage points.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-2beec1\" class=\"endmark body-graf\">\u201cThis is exploration,\u201d Young said. \u201cAnd while we have imagery, amazing data from orbiting spacecraft, it\u2019s these nuanced observations that we\u2019re lacking. And so this is discovery, right? And we\u2019re asking questions that we don\u2019t always know the answer to.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/science\/space\/artemis-ii-astronauts-moon-lunar-sphere-influence-nasa-rcna266631\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s official: The Artemis II astronauts have arrived in the moon\u2019s cosmic neighborhood. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":42591,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-42590","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-us-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42590","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=42590"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42590\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/42591"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=42590"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=42590"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=42590"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}