Updated on: April 6, 2026 / 1:45 AM EDT / CBS News
Washington — NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman outlined the key things he’ll be watching in the coming days as the Artemis II crew loops around the far side of the moon, calling the flight a vital test on the path back to lunar surface missions.
Launched last week, Artemis II is the first crewed lunar mission since Apollo more than 50 years ago. The four-person crew is expected to exceed the Apollo 13 record for the farthest distance from Earth on Monday.
Isaacman told “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that the immediate priority is continued data collection from Orion’s ECLS — the environmental control and life support system. This is the first time humans are aboard an Orion spacecraft, and accumulating thorough performance data is essential for planning upcoming missions.
“There are science experiments and lunar observations,” Isaacman said, “but learning about Orion is critically important, because Artemis III is a year away.” He noted Artemis III, targeted for mid-2027, will exercise the same spacecraft with lunar landers, and Artemis IV in 2028 will use Orion to transfer crew to landers and return American astronauts to the moon’s surface. Humans have not been on the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972.
As the Orion capsule travels to the moon’s far side, the crew will be the first humans to see portions of that hemisphere. Isaacman said the astronauts will have observational duties, operating different cameras and collecting data to inform later missions, particularly Artemis IV.
The spacecraft is expected to lose direct communications with Earth for roughly 40 minutes while it passes behind the moon, a normal occurrence mission control and trained astronauts routinely manage. Isaacman said his focus during the blackout and the rest of the mission is on life support performance, thermal protection, and the systems that must function during reentry and splashdown so the crew can be recovered safely and reunited with their families.
Early Monday, NASA announced Artemis II entered the lunar sphere of influence at 12:38 a.m. EDT, meaning the moon’s gravity became the dominant force acting on Orion as it continues this test flight.