Artemis mission takes historic step as astronauts conduct lunar flyby

Orion snapped this high-resolution selfie in space with a camera mounted on one of its solar array wings during a routine external inspection of the spacecraft on the second day into the Artemis II mission on 3 April 2026. Getty Images via AFP - NASA

The astronauts of NASA’s Artemis mission have reached a crucial moment in their journey to the Moon, entering the final phase before their historic lunar flyby.

As of early Monday, the Orion spacecraft crossed into what scientists call the Moon’s “sphere of influence” – the point at which lunar gravity begins to exert a stronger pull than Earth’s.