Artemis II Lunar Flyby Highlights: Trump praises courage of NASA astronauts as flyby comes to an end

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After seven hours, the Artemis II lunar flyby is drawing to a close — and the mood is one of quiet triumph.

Commander Reid Wiseman thanked the NASA science team for what he called a remarkable experience. "We were well prepared, and we appreciate all of you, and this is what we do best when we all come together and work as a team," he said. "Y'all knocked it out of the park."

NASA science officer Dr. Kelsey Young returned the praise. "I can't say enough how much science we've already learned and how much inspiration you've provided to our entire team, the lunar science community and the entire world," she told the crew. "You really brought the moon closer for us today."

The team will now begin transmitting the day's imagery back to Earth.

Trump said he wants NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman to bring the Artemis II crew to the Oval Office once they return to Earth.

“I’ll ask for your autograph,” Trump said. “Because I don’t really ask for autographs much, but you deserve that. You really are something. Everybody is talking about this, and I look forward to having you in the Oval Office at the White House, and we will celebrate your incredible achievements and trials. This is big. This is really big stuff. The whole world is talking about it. And if you have the time, I will certainly find the time. I’ve been pretty busy, also, as you know, but I will absolutely find the time, and we’ll get together, and I’m going to be giving you a big salute on behalf of the American people.”

President Trump responded warmly to Hansen's message, saying he had spoken with Wayne Gretzky and "many other friends" in Canada, all of whom expressed pride in the crew.

"You have a lot of courage," Trump said. "I'm not sure if 'the great one' would want to do that, to be honest with you, but you have a lot of courage doing what you're doing, a lot of bravery and a lot of genius."

Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen took a moment during the lunar flyby to address President Trump directly, praising American space leadership and Canada's pride in being part of the mission.

"A nation that leads like that and creates and sets big goals for humanity that brings other countries along with it is truly incredible," Hansen said. "Canadians are so proud to be a part of this program."

The Artemis II crew has now witnessed four impact flashes — brief bursts of light created as space rocks struck the lunar surface. All four strikes occurred on the near side of the moon, close to or south of the lunar equator.

Meanwhile, the sun is illuminating the moon's entire perimeter during the total solar eclipse, throwing unique lunar topography into sharp relief, according to Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen.

During the total solar eclipse, sharp-eyed NASA astronauts in Orion noticed a steadily blinking dot in the upper left of the screen. NASA's science team confirmed it was Venus, one of the brightest objects in the night sky.

NASA astronaut Victor Glover admitted that cameras have struggled to capture what the crew is witnessing — and during the total solar eclipse, the view turned otherworldly. With Earth's glow illuminating the moon in the surrounding darkness, Glover said the sight was unlike anything he had seen.

"After all of the amazing sites that we saw earlier, we just went sci-fi," he said. "You can actually see a majority of the moon. It is the strangest looking thing that you can see so much on the surface."

The crew also spotted two meteors during the eclipse.

The Artemis II crew has another celestial spectacle to look forward to: a 53-minute solar eclipse beginning at around 8:35 p.m. ET.

From aboard Orion, the sun will disappear behind the moon before rising again from the other side — a sight the crew will watch through eclipse glasses.

Unlike the total solar eclipses visible from Earth, where the moon and sun appear roughly the same size, the moon will loom far larger through Orion's windows.

As it blocks the sun, parts of the solar corona — the sun's outer atmosphere — should become visible to the astronauts, according to NASA's Dr. Kelsey Young.

Apollo crews witnessed similar eclipses during their lunar missions, but nothing quite like this.

As the lunar flyby nears its end, the Artemis II crew will have their eyes on more than just the moon. Earth, Mercury, Venus, Mars and Saturn are all expected to appear in their imagery, with Asia, Africa and Oceania visible on Earth's surface.

They'll also watch for Earthshine — light reflected off Earth casting a glow onto the near side of the moon, according to NASA's Dr. Kelsey Young.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman congratulated the Artemis II crew as they made history, traveling farther into space than any humans before. After swinging around the lunar far side and briefly losing contact with Earth, the Orion capsule has reconnected with Mission Control.

"This mission will be remembered as the moment people started to believe that America can once again do the near-impossible," Isaacman wrote on X — though he was quick to add that the mission "isn't over until they're under safe parachutes, splashing down into the Pacific," expected Friday night.

As the Orion spacecraft passed behind the moon, communications briefly cut out — but the crew stayed busy. Once back in contact with NASA Mission Control, they shared what they experienced during the blackout: a breathtaking Earthrise, watching our planet appear to crest the lunar horizon just as Apollo astronauts witnessed in 1968.

They also scanned the surface for flashes from meteorite strikes and watched for the mysterious dust that floats above the moon's edge during Earthrise — a phenomenon scientists still don't fully understand.

The astronauts have resumed communicating with NASA Mission Control Center in Houston after the Orion spacecraft reemerged from behind the moon. The expected communications blackout lasted for about 40 minutes.

The Artemis II crew is sending continuous science observations throughout the Moon flyby.

Mission control’s Science Evaluation Room received the updates, including grins, nods, and chatter.

The crew reported subtle color nuances on the lunar surface, aiding scientific study.

Human-visible shades of brown and blue help reveal a feature’s mineral composition and age.

The science team is updating the observation plan in real time based on crew reports.

At the start of the observation window, as Orion approaches the Moon's near side (the side visible from Earth), people in parts of the eastern hemisphere will be able to see some of the same features the crew will observe.

Lunar flyby has officially kicked off. Crew to work in shifts to take images of the Moon

The Artemis II moon mission crew on Monday commenced their intensive lunar targeting plan during their seven-hour flyby of the Moon.

As per media reports, for the first five hours, astronauts will split into pairs and rotate observation duties, allowing each team a brief mental break roughly every hour.

NASA Astronaut Commander Reid Wiseman, who's leading the Artemis II moon mission, has been giving an update of the view that his crew is seeing from the spacecraft's window, BBC reported.

"The earth is a small crescent out there. It's magnificent, I got a picture of it...such a majestic view out here," he said.

The Artemis II mission has set a new record for the farthest distance from Earth traveled by humans.

The Artemis II crew consists of NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen.

Artemis II surpassed Apollo 13's previous record of 248,655 miles set in 1970.

This marks the first human lunar flyby since Apollo 17 in 1972.

Artemis II LIVE: The Artemis II astronauts have made their closest approach to the moon and the flyby is expected to begin soon.

Artemis II LIVE: Astronauts of Artemis II, who died last year, have received a pre-recorded message from Jim Lovell of Apollo 13.

Here is what it said:

“Hello, Artemis 2, this is Apollo astronaut Jim Lovell. Welcome to my old neighborhood. When Frank Borman and Bill Anders and I orbited the moon on Apollo 8, we got humanity's first up close look the moon, and got a view of the home planet that inspired and united people around the world.”

“I'm proud to pass that torch on to you as you swing around the moon and play the groundwork for missions to Mars for the benefit of all. It's a historic day, and I know how busy you'll be, but don't forget to enjoy the view. So, Reid, Victor and Christina and Jeremy, and all the great teams supporting you, good luck and Godspeed from all of us here on the good Earth.”

Artemis II LIVE: The Artemis II flyby will begin at 11 pm (India time). Just before Orion kicks off the fly-around and begin the observations, the four astronauts – flying over 400,171 kilometers – are set to become the most distant humans in history. They broke the record set by Apollo 13 in April 1970.

Artemis II LIVE: The Orion capsule will swing around the Moon, placing the crew on track to reach an estimated record distance of 406,772 kilometers from Earth before beginning the journey back.

This will exceed the record set by Apollo 13 in 1972 by 4,102 miles.

Artemis II LIVE: Artemis II flyby will begin around 11 pm. The NASA livestreaming, showing each and every step towards to flyby, will begin inabout 50 minutes.

As the crew of Artemis II has begun preparations for a historic lunar flyby, marking the first time humans have approached the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972, they received a recorded message from Jim Lovell, who commanded Apollo 13 and earlier orbited the Moon on Apollo 8.

In the message, Lovell welcomed the Artemis II astronauts to his “old neighborhood” and encouraged them to carry forward the legacy of lunar exploration, calling the mission a stepping stone toward future journeys to Mars.

Artemis II LIVE: The Artemis II flyby will start at 11 pm (India time) and the NASA livestream of the event in another 1 hour 55 minutes.

Artemis II LIVE: The NASA has revealed what the four astronauts are having in space. In a post, NASA said, “@NASAArtemis II crew has quite a selection to choose from for midday meals.”

Artemis II LIVE: These are the events to watch today in the flyby period:

8:20 PM IST: Crew wake-up

10:30 PM IST: NASA lunar flyby coverage begins

11:00 PM IST: Artemis II lunar flyby observation period begins

11:26 PM IST: Apollo 13 distance record broken

12:15 AM IST (next day): Lunar observation period begins

4:17 AM IST: Loss of communications (approx. 40 minutes)

4:32 AM IST: Closest approach to the Moon

4:35 AM IST: Maximum distance from Earth

6:05 AM IST: Orion enters solar eclipse period

6:50 AM IST: Lunar observation period ends

7:02 AM IST: Solar eclipse period concludes

Artemis II LIVE: A day after the Artemis II flyby, the Orion will leave the lunar “sphere of influence”. After a while, the cew will also speak with the the astronauts aboard the International Space Station in an audio-only conversation.

The Artemis II crew debriefing with science officials about lunar flyby will begin, following which, the return trajectory will begin.

Artemis II is using the same maneuver that Apollo 13 did after its “Houston, we’ve had a problem” oxygen tank explosion wiped out any hope of a moon landing.

The trajectory is known as a free-return lunar trajectory. This trajectory takes ‘no-stopping-to-land’ route, taking advantage of Earth and the moon’s gravity.

The trajectory is also known to reduce the need for fuel.

Artemis II LIVE:

11:26 PM IST: Artemis II crew surpasses the Apollo 13 distance record

12:15 AM IST: Lunar observation period begins

4:17 AM: Predicted loss of communications as Artemis II heads behind the moon (roughly 40 minutes)

4:32 AM IST: Artemis II's closest approach to the Moon

4:35 AM: Artemis II reaches its furthest distance from Earth

Artemis II LIVE: NASA will be running the event LIVE on its YouTube channel. The event will begin at 10 pm (India time). During the flyby, the astronauts will sail around the far side of the Moon. They will also photograoh the side of the moon which has never been seen before. At their closest point, they'll pass roughly 4,000 miles above the lunar surface.

To catch the Artemis II LIVE, go to the NASA YouTube page and look for official broadcast. You can also watch it here at Mint.

Americans Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch along with their Canadian colleague Jeremy Hansen, were launched to space on April 1. Today, they will perform the flyby.

The journey will last around 10 days. The flyby will take the astronauts on a loop around the Moon, though they will not land on its surface.

When the Artemis II performs the lunar flyby, the crew shall plunge into darkness and brief communications blackouts as the moon blocks them from NASA's Deep Space Network.

How long will the flyby last? The flyby will last about six hours, during which the astronauts will use professional cameras to take detailed photos through Orion's window of the silhouetted moon. The images will show a rare and scientifically valuable vantage point of sunlight filtering around its edges in what will effectively be a lunar eclipse.

They will also get the opportunity to capture a rare sight: their home planet appearing small against the vastness of space, rising above the Moon’s horizon as their capsule emerges from the far side—an extraordinary twist on the familiar moonrise seen from Earth.