TheArtemis II astronautsare getting closer and closer to returning home.
It's been abusy week so far for the mission, which serves as the first human spaceflight toward the moon since NASA's Apollo era came to an end in 1972.
Afterlaunching April 1from Cape Canaveral, Florida, theastronauts finally swung around the moonApril 6, seeing sights of the lunar far side thatno human had ever laid eyes upon. While the following day − their first day traveling back to Earth – was largely a day off for the astronauts, NASA had amassive photo dumpof some of the stellar imagery the crew members captured during theirincredible lunar rendezvous.
Want to follow along with the rest of the test flight, which will pave the way for a possible2028 moon landing?
It’s all in the details. Check out these zoomed-in views of moon photos taken by the the Artemis II crew to see incredible lunar surface details.
" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
The lunar surface fills the frame in sharp detail, as seen during the Artemis II lunar flyby.
" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Orientale basin is visible in this close-up, with a black patch of ancient lava in the center that punched through the Moon’s crust in an eruption billions of years ago.
" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Moon crates are revealed in this detail of a photo captured by the Artemis II crew during their journey around the far side of the Moon on April 6.
" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
A close-up view shows the Vavilov Crater (left) an impact crater on the rim of the older and larger Hertzsprung basin.
" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
High-end digital cameras provide astronauts with powerful imaging tools that they can use to capture and share detailed views during their mission.
" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
We zoomed-in on Artemis moon photos. See the astonishing detail
It’s all in the details. Check out these zoomed-in views ofmoon photostaken by the the Artemis II crew to see incredible lunar surface details.
Here's what to know about how far the astronauts are from Earth and the moon, as well as how you can use NASA's official tracker to keep up with their journey.
Artemis II:Why are we going back to the moon? NASA Artemis campaign targets Mars
How far are the Artemis II astronauts from Earth?
As of the morning of Wednesday, April 8, the Orion spacecraftthe Artemis II astronautsare aboard is approaching 209,100 miles from Earth, with the moon nearly 74,000 miles behind them, according to NASA's online tracker.
Lunar SelfieMidway through their lunar observation period, the Artemis II crew members, seen here (From left to right: Victor Glover, Jeremy Hansen, Reid Wiseman, and Christina Koch), pause to turn the camera around for a selfie inside the Orion spacecraft.
NASA's Artemis II astronauts are among the first government spacefarers to bring personal smartphones to space. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Spaceship Earth NASA astronaut and Artemis II mission specialist Christina Koch peers out of one of the Orion spacecraft's main cabin windows, looking back at Earth, as the crew travels towards the Moon. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Photographer at WorkAstronaut Jeremy Hansen captures an image through the camera shroud covering window 2 of the Orion spacecraft. The camera shroud, essentially a curtain with a hole for the lens to pass through, is used to prevent light from the cabin from reflecting on the windowpanes. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Home, Seen from OrionNASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman peers out of one of the Orion spacecraft's main cabin windows, looking back at Earth, as the crew travels towards the Moon. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Eclipse Safety First The Artemis II crew – Mission Specialist Christina Koch (top left), Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen (bottom left), Commander Reid Wiseman (bottom right), and Pilot Victor Glover (top right) – uses eclipse viewers, identical to what NASA produced for the 2023 annular eclipse and 2024 total solar eclipse, to protect their eyes at key moments during the solar eclipse they experienced during their lunar flyby. This was the first use of eclipse glasses at the Moon to safely view a solar eclipse. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Final Flyby PreparationsArtemis II Pilot Victor Glover (Left), Commander Reid Wiseman (Center), and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen (Right) prepare for their journey around the far side of the Moon by configuring their camera equipment shortly before beginning their lunar flyby observations. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Rest Before Lunar FlybyArtemis II crewmember sleeping bags are illuminated inside the Orion spacecraft on Flight Day 5 of the mission and ahead of the crew's lunar flyby on April 6, 2026. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Out‑of‑this‑world selfies from the Artemis II astronauts
Lunar SelfieMidway through their lunar observation period, the Artemis II crew members, seen here (From left to right: Victor Glover, Jeremy Hansen, Reid Wiseman, and Christina Koch), pause to turn the camera around for a selfie inside the Orion spacecraft.NASA's Artemis II astronautsare among the first government spacefarers to bring personal smartphones to space.
Artemis II tracker. Follow moon mission location
Want to follow the astronauts along the Artemis II lunar journey? NASAhas an Artemis II trackeravailableonlineand on itsmobile appthat allows users to see where Orion is, how fast it's traveling and how far the spacecraft is from both the Earth and the moon.
The mobile version for smartphones even includes an augmented reality feature that allows users to move their phones to see where Orion is relative to Earth.
The tracker, officially referred to as the "Artemis Real-time Orbit Website" (AROW), uses data collected in real time by sensors on the Orion spacecraft sent to the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. That information will be constantly updated beginning about one minute after liftoff until Orion begins its re-entry into Earth's atmosphere about 10 days later.
Advertisement
Peeking at the Earth As the Artemis II crew came close to passing behind the Moon and experiencing a planned loss of signal on April 6, 2026, they captured this image of a crescent Earth setting on the Moon’s limb. The edge of the visible surface of the Moon is called the “lunar limb.” " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
A New View of the MoonEarth sets at 6:41 p.m. EDT, April 6, 2026, over the Moon’s curved limb in this photo captured by the Artemis II crew during their journey around the far side of the Moon. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Artemis II in EclipseCaptured by the Artemis II crew during their lunar flyby on April 6, 2026, this image shows the Moon fully eclipsing the Sun. From the crew’s perspective, the Moon appears large enough to completely block the Sun, creating nearly 54 minutes of totality and extending the view far beyond what is possible from Earth. We see a glowing halo around the dark lunar disk. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Shadows at the Edge of Lunar Day The Artemis II crew captures a portion of the Moon coming into view along the terminator – the boundary between lunar day and night – where low-angle sunlight casts long, dramatic shadows across the surface on April 6, 2026. This grazing light accentuates the Moon’s rugged topography, revealing craters, ridges, and basin structures in striking detail. Features along the terminator such as Jule Crater, Birkhoff Crater, Stebbins Crater, and surrounding highlands stand out. From this perspective, the interplay of light and shadow highlights the complexity of the lunar surface in ways not visible under full illumination. The image was captured about three hours into the crew’s lunar observation period, as they flew around the far side of the Moon on the sixth day of the mission. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Artemis II Total Solar Eclipse, Partial Frame A close-up view from the Orion spacecraft during the Artemis II crew’s lunar flyby on April 6, 2026, captures a total solar eclipse, with only part of the Moon visible in the frame as it fully obscures the Sun. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Solar Eclipse Emergence from OrionCaptured from the Orion spacecraft near the end of the Artemis II lunar flyby on April 6, this image shows the Sun beginning to peek out from behind the Moon as the eclipse transitions out of totality. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
The Edge of Two WorldsEarth draws closer to passing behind the Moon in this image captured by the Artemis II crew during their lunar flyby, about six minutes before Earthset. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Shadows Across Vavilov Crater A close-up view taken by the Artemis II crew of Vavilov Crater on the rim of the older and larger Hertzsprung basin. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Artemis Era EarthriseEarthrise captured through the Orion spacecraft window at 7:22 p.m. ET during the Artemis II crew’s flyby of the Moon’s far side. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Incredible photos from the dark side of the moon by Artemis II crew
Peeking at the EarthAs the Artemis II crew came close to passing behind the Moon and experiencing a planned loss of signal on April 6, 2026, they captured this image of a crescent Earth setting on the Moon’s limb. The edge of the visible surface of the Moon is called the “lunar limb.”
Artemis II update
The Orion vehicle's service module, located under the crew module where the astronauts reside, fired its auxiliary thrusters April 7 for about 15 seconds to change the spacecraft's velocity as it heads toward Earth.
The Artemis II astronauts also gave a mission briefing to NASA officials on the ground following their trailblazing flyby of the moon, during which they came within 4,067 miles of the surface while flying farther from Earth than anyone in history.
Ahead, the crew members have a full day of objectives to complete April 8 as they prepare to return to Earth, according toNASA.
When does Artemis II return to Earth? Splashdown time
The astronauts are in the middle of a four-day journey back to Earth, using our planet's gravity to naturally "slingshot," orpull Orion back home, negating the need for propulsion or much fuel.
The Orion capsule is due Friday, April 10, toreenter Earth's atmosphere to make a water landingaround 8:07 p.m. ET in the Pacific Ocean off thecoast of San Diego, California.
When reentry occurs, Orion's service module responsible for propelling and maneuvering the vehicle throughspacewill separate and burn up, exposing the crew module's heat shield that protects the astronauts from the 3,000-degree Fahrenheit conditions the vehicle will endure.
Once Orion blazes through Earth's atmosphere, the protective heat shield will be cast off to make way for parachutes to deploy and slow the vehicle down.
The capsule will then splashdown in the ocean, after which five orange airbags will inflate around the top of the spacecraft and flip the capsule into an upright position. After the landing, the crew would exit the vehicle onto a U.S. Navyrecovery vesselwithin about two hours.
Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:How far are Artemis II astronauts from Earth? NASA's location tracker
