The spacecraft was launched on April 2, 2026, at 12:35 PM, and the mission is expected to last 10 days.
The journey began with the spacecraft orbiting Earth twice. On the third pass, it transitioned onto a trajectory toward the Moon, although the astronauts will not land on it but instead orbit around it.
NASA announced that the commander of the four-person crew, Reid Wiseman, captured remarkable images of Earth appearing in its blue color from space.
The astronauts are expected to reach the far side of the Moon—the side not visible from Earth. They are the first humans to travel to the Moon again since 1972.
They are scheduled to orbit the Moon on April 6, 2026, and return to Earth on April 10, 2026.
