The Artemis II astronauts have surpassed the “two thirds” point of their mission to loop around the moon and fly back to Earth. As of 10:15 A.M. EDT on Sunday, the Orion spacecraft was more than

Artemis II is underway, carrying four astronauts around the moon on a 10-day mission to test systems for later lunar flights and an eventual moon base.

It has been 50 years since humans last walked the lunar surface, and NASA’s efforts to get back there will take place in stages.

NPR's Scott Detrow speaks with NASA's Kelsey Evans Young, the Artemis science flight operations lead, about the rigors of space and the lunar slingshot to get home.

Artemis II hit a key milestone Thursday when Orion ignited its engine, propelling the crew on a trip that will reach deeper into space than any human has traveled.

Artemis II, NASA's first crewed mission to the moon in more than 50 years, represents a shift from short visits toward sustained exploration, where understanding lunar geology and resources becomes as important as the engineering that gets astronauts there.

NASA's Artemis II crew has successfully launched on a mission that will take it around the moon and back to Earth. A key maneuver Thursday night determines whether they embark on their lunar visit.

A toilet issue is plaguing the four astronauts on the Artemis II mission as the Orion capsule hurtles nearly 200,000 miles from Earth on its way to the moon.

The NASA astronauts also sent down Easter messages Sunday while gearing up for a historic pass behind the moon Monday.

The Artemis II crew is almost at the moon, and the astronauts spent this weekend carrying out preparations for their lunar flyby on Monday. That included manual piloting demonstrations, reviewing their science objectives for the six-hour observation period and evaluating their space suits,