NASA's Artemis II astronauts are now more than halfway to the Moon. This is the first time humans have traveled this far since 1972. That year, Apollo 17 was the last mission to visit the Moon.
The crew is flying on a spacecraft called Orion. They will circle the Moon and then return to Earth. They will not land on the Moon this time. But the mission is very important. NASA is testing all the systems that future astronauts will need.
Artemis II is part of NASA's Artemis program. The program wants to send people back to the Moon. One day, NASA also plans missions to Mars. Engineers need to check that Orion can safely carry astronauts across deep space.
The astronauts have a busy schedule. They check spacecraft systems, do science activities, and talk to mission control. They have also looked out the windows at Earth. From space, Earth looks very small and far away.
NASA has released a new photo called "Earthrise." It shows Earth rising above the Moon. The photo is similar to the famous Earthrise picture from the Apollo years. NASA says this image reminds people around the world to protect our planet.
2026 has been an important year for space. Japan sent the world's first wooden satellite into orbit to test new materials for spacecraft. The next NASA mission, Artemis III, will try to land astronauts on the Moon. But first, engineers must review all the data from Artemis II.