Four astronauts aboard NASA's Artemis II mission are currently on their way to the Moon and the journey is taking considerably longer than one might expect. The Orion spacecraft is expected to reach the Moon on approximately 6 April, the sixth day of the mission. The mission launched from Kennedy Space Center on 1 April 2026 and is set to last ten days in total.
According to Time, the reason for the gradual pace lies in the physics of deep-space travel. Although the spacecraft reached an escape velocity of 24,500 miles per hour following its translunar injection burn, a journey away from Earth into space is effectively a journey uphill, with the planet's gravity steadily pulling the craft backwards until it slows to just 3,400 miles per hour.
It is only when the spacecraft is approximately 41,000 miles from the Moon and roughly 200,000 miles from Earth, that the Moon's gravitational pull takes over, causing the Orion to begin accelerating once again.
Watch: NASA's Artemis II Astronauts Exercise, Cook In Space During Moon Mission
According to NBC News, the mission's first two days were spent in Earth's orbit. During this time, the crew calibrated instruments, checked life-support systems, and performed engine burns to set up the critical translunar injection, which placed the craft on its course towards the Moon.
On day six of the mission, the Artemis II crew will approach the Moon from its western hemisphere, coming as close as 4,000 miles from the lunar surface.At that point, the spacecraft will set a new human spaceflight record, travelling approximately 252,757 miles from Earth - farther than any human being has ever journeyed.
The return journey is expected to take a further four days, with splashdown in the Pacific Ocean anticipated on 10 April 2026.In all, the spacecraft will travel more than 685,000 miles over the course of the full mission.
