On Monday afternoon, the Artemis II crew is expected to surpass the distance record set during Apollo 13, traveling farther from Earth than any humans before them.
Later that evening, Orion will reach its maximum distance of 252,760 miles away, 4,105 miles farther than Apollo 13.
NASA has released a timeline of key moments during the flyby, as the world watches this next chapter of human spaceflight unfold.
NASA has released a timeline of key moments during the lunar flyby, as the world watches this next chapter of human spaceflight unfold.
NASA
-ABC News' Briana Alvarado
Apr 05, 2026, 8:32 PM EDT
Orion holding 'pinpoint trajectory' toward moon, NASA says
The Artemis II mission is now less than a day away from entering the pivotal lunar flyby part of the journey.
After days of travel, NASA leaders provided an update on Artemis II’s progress, along with new insight into what astronauts will be observing on the moon and beyond during Monday’s lunar flyby.
According to NASA flight director Rick Henfling, Orion is on an exceptionally precise trajectory toward the moon, which led to the cancellation of its first two planned course-correction burns.
This artist’s concept depicts the nominal trajectory for NASA’s Artemis II test flight, an approximately 10-day mission that will send four astronauts around the Moon and back.
Goddard/JSC/NASA
“We found that Orion was on such a pinpoint trajectory that we didn't need to do the first two correction maneuvers,” Henfling said during Sunday’s news conference.
A third adjustment is still scheduled for Sunday at 11:03 p.m. ET. It is expected to be a brief, 14-second firing designed to keep the spacecraft perfectly aligned ahead of the flyby.
Just hours later, around 12:40 a.m. ET Monday, Orion will officially cross over into the lunar sphere of influence. This is the point where the moon’s gravity takes over from Earth’s. From there, the crew will begin a carefully choreographed sequence of observations as they pass by the lunar surface.
-ABC News' Briana Alvarado
Apr 05, 2026, 4:51 PM EDT
Artemis II astronauts practice donning, removing space suits
Artemis II astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover Jr., Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen are now donning their Orion Crew Survival System (OCSS) suits and beginning their operational demo.
The crew will practicing donning and removing the suits quickly in the event of a depressurization emergency within the spacecraft.
Crewmembers Christina Koch, mission specialist; Victor Glover, pilot; Reid Wiseman, commander; and Reid Wiseman, commander; and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist; are shown on the Artemis II mission on flight day 3.
NASA
The demo affords an opportunity to see the Artemis II crew wearing their spacesuits as they travel ever closer to the moon ahead of Monday's lunar flyby.
-ABC News' Briana Alvarado
Apr 05, 2026, 1:36 PM EDT
Artemis II crew awakened by CeeLo Green song 'Work'
The Artemis II mission officially entered its fifth and final day before the highly anticipated lunar flyby as the crew awoke Sunday to the CeeLo Green song "Work."
The astronauts also heard from Apollo 16 astronaut Charlie Duke, who once landed on the moon on a different kind of Orion — a lunar module bearing the same name.
"I'm glad to see a different kind of Orion helping return humans to the moon as America charts the course to the lunar surface," Duke said in his message to the four-person crew.
Mission Specialist 1 Christina Koch gazing at Earth from Orion’s windows, a reminder of home as they travel toward the moon.
NASA
"Below you, on the moon, is a photo of my family. I pray it reminds you that we in America and all of the world are cheering you on," Duke added. "Thanks to you and the whole team on the ground for building on our Apollo legacy with Artemis. Godspeed and safe travels home."
With the moon flyby just a day away, Sunday marks the final stretch of preparations before the big moment.
This artist’s concept depicts the nominal trajectory for NASA’s Artemis II test flight, an approximately 10-day mission that will send four astronauts around the Moon and back.
Goddard/JSC/NASA
On Saturday, the crew received their full list of lunar targets, which includes 30 specific sites they’ll observe as they pass by the moon. During the observation period, the crew will go through a total of five shifts during what NASA is calling the lunar flyby sequence.
For the crew, the first four of those shifts are all about observing the lunar surface. This is when the windows will be pointing right at the moon. The astronauts will capture everything using their cameras and personal computers onboard the Orion crew module.
