Mark Strassmann checked in with the four astronauts of NASA’s Artemis II as they crossed the halfway mark between Earth and the Moon. Four days into the mission, the crew reported being in high spirits while conducting what NASA describes as a flight test of the Orion capsule.
The spacecraft will perform a roughly three-hour flyby of the lunar far side, during which Houston will be out of contact for about 40 minutes. To make the most of the opportunity, the astronauts will photograph the Moon’s far side in pairs, alternating duties so they can “maximize every minute” of observation, astronaut Christina Koch said before launch.
Flight director Judd Frieling put the mission in a larger context: “It’s pretty amazing. As a human race, we’re explorers, right? And we’re getting to that exploration again to be far out.” The crew described the trip as both deeply moving and the thrill ride of a lifetime.
One astronaut offered a message for people back home: even as the capsule carries them far from Earth, “you’re on a spaceship called Earth that was created to give us a place to live in a universe and the cosmos.” They urged listeners to reflect on what it means to be together and to be apart from loved ones during missions like this.
Onboard systems are performing well overall. Mission updates noted a minor toilet-system issue, but otherwise the capsule has met expectations for the test flight.
CBS News’ Mark Strassmann reported from Houston’s Mission Control, with Jericka Duncan also covering the story on air. The crew’s photographs of Earth and their firsthand observations highlight both the technical progress of Artemis II and the broader perspective the voyage offers on life back home.