On day six of its journey, Artemis II is closing in on the far side of the moon. While this will be a historic flyby for the crew, it's also faced some unexpected challenges, including a malfunctioning toilet that has caused more than just social media memes.
A few hours before they reach the dark side, here’s what you need to know about their journey so far. When they finish flying over the moon’s dark side on Monday, 6 April at around 2:45 pm EDT (7:45 pm London time), it will mark a significant milestone for humanity.
Commander Reid Wiseman and his team have been sharing stunning images from space, including one that went viral as a reference to the famous Blue Marble photo. They've also captured an unheard-of view of the Orientale basin on the far side of the moon, something no human has ever seen before with their own eyes.
The mission's systems are performing well so far, and the astronauts have been able to make minor adjustments without issues. However, a toilet malfunction has caused some consternation among both crew and social media users. NASA engineers suspect that ice blocking pipes may be the culprit behind at least two failures in the waste management system.
Despite the occasional glitch, the Artemis II mission is pushing the boundaries of human space exploration. The success of this test could pave the way for future lunar missions, validating systems and procedures necessary for long-term habitation on the moon.







