FOX News Reporter Danamarie McNicholl has details on the historic Artemis II mission to the Moon.
The crew of NASA‘s Artemis II mission will be hurtling toward the Moon this holiday weekend, set to be captured by the lunar gravity by Sunday before beginning the historic flyby.
See the complete day-by-day guide for the Artemis II mission:
TIMELINE: A DAY-BY-DAY GUIDE TO THE 10-DAY ARTEMIS II MISSION TO BRING HUMANITY BACK TO THE MOON
Artemis II marks humanity’s first return to the Moon in 50 years and will travel to the lunar far side — farther than any crewed spacecraft has gone before. This mission serves as a critical test for the Orion spacecraft and a key building block of the Artemis program, which hopes to establish a long-term lunar base by 2030.
Map of Artemis II mission.
(NASA)
After breaking free from Earth’s orbit Thursday, the four-person crew is coasting through the void of space on a direct course for the Moon, having completed pre-planned precise course corrections early Friday.
Artemis II controllers monitor the progress of the Orion spacecraft in the White Flight Control Room at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, on April 3, 2026.
((Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP via Getty Images) / Getty Images)
Through the weekend, the crew will make final steering nudges to ensure Orion enters the correct orbital slot to ensure that the Orion spacecraft will be able to “whip-around” the Moon.
On Sunday, Orion will enter the lunar gravitational sphere of influence — where the Moon’s gravity is stronger than Earth’s — in preparation for Monday’s flyby when they will reach maximum distance from home.
MEET THE ASTRONAUTS PREPARING FOR HUMANITY’S RETURN TO THE MOON ON THE ARTEMIS II MISSION
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen pose for a photo as NASA’s Artemis II is rolled from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Along the way, the crew members — Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover and specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen — will practice zero-gravity CPR and other emergency procedures.
The crew will also test a special exercise device onboard to determine if it significantly impacts Orion’s flightpath. At the same time, engineers will monitor the spacecraft’s life support system, which is supposed to maintain a comfortable cabin environment, during intense exercise.
The Artemis II crew spoke late Thursday to Trace Gallagher, the host of FOX News @ Night, on their way to the Moon.
The crew spoke late Thursday to Trace Gallagher, the host of FOX News @ Night, and was eager to thank their families for their support for the first time since launching.
Commander Reid Wiseman highlighted the incredible achievement of the American space program.
“This is unbelievable that we can put our minds to something and pull it off,” Wiseman said.
Mission Specialist Koch explained how the crew was getting adjusted to living in space, telling Gallagher that she was very comfortable sleeping upside down in zero gravity.
High-resolution photo of Earth viewed from Orion spacecraft.
(NASA/Reid Wiseman / FOX Weather)
On Friday, NASA released the first high-resolution images of Earth from the Orion spacecraft. These pictures of the African continent were actually taken at night.
Historic launch
The historic flight launched Wednesday at 6:35:12 p.m. ET from the Kennedy Space Center.
Four astronauts aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft atop the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket launch on the agency’s Artemis II test flight, Wednesday, April 1 from Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
(NASA/Eric Bordelon / FOX Weather)
A few hours before the mission’s launch window opened, the mission very briefly entered a “No-Go” range, while they addressed a glitch with the Flight Termination System.
After roughly 45 minutes, the mission returned to “Go” and things continued as planned.
FOX Weather Correspondent Brandy Campbell recaps historic Artemis II launch this past Wednesday.
FOX Weather Correspondent Brandy Campbell covered the launch live, describing the atmosphere during the launch as “electric.”
Mission control in Houston reported Friday that the Orion spacecraft is performing excellently.
After whipping around the Moon Monday, the crew will begin the voyage home, set to splash down next Friday afternoon in the Pacific Ocean.
