NASA Artemis II mission passes halfway mark to moon
April 5, 2026
Al Jazeera English
NASA’s Artemis II has passed the halfway point on its historic journey to the Moon, marking a major milestone in humanity’s return to deep space exploration. The four-member crew aboard the Orion spacecraft — three Americans and one Canadian — are the first astronauts to travel beyond Earth’s orbit since the Apollo program in 1972. As the spacecraft performs a lunar flyby, astronauts are testing critical systems for future missions aimed at building a long-term lunar base.
Stunning images show Earth shrinking in the distance as the crew travels at speeds of up to 40,000 km/h. Despite minor technical challenges onboard, including a malfunctioning toilet system, the mission remains on track, with splashdown expected next week. Artemis II is a crucial step toward landing astronauts on the Moon again by 2028. Al Jazeera's Ferdia Carr has this report. Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/ Download AJE Mobile App: https://aje.io/AJEMobile #aljazeeraenglish #BreakingNews #aljazeeralivenews #aljazeeraenglish #NASA #Artemis #MoonMission #Space #Astronomy #SpaceExploration #ArtemisII #BreakingNews #Science #Apollo #Orion #SpaceNews #Moon #Technology #Future
Al Jazeera English
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