Washington, April 6 -- Five days into space, the Artemis II has entered into a definitive phase of its journey as the crew onboard the Orion spacecraft prepares for a close lunar flyby, that will carry them farther from the Earth than anyone in human history.
Launched from Kennedy Space Center last week, the Orion's four-member crew, comprising Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen, is now entering the Moon's gravitational sphere, setting up a precise slingshot trajectory around the far side.
The mission marks the first time since humans have travelled towards the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972, and will surpass the distance record set during Apollo 13.
Orion is expected to reach roughly 406,700 kilometres from Ear...