Sa., 15:00. Flugzeit 2:14:20. Entfernung von der Erde 160.000 Meilen | 275.000 km. Entfernung vom Mond 118.000 Meilen | 190.000 km.
Sollte der Eindruck entstehen, daß das langsamer wird, dann täuscht das nicht. Die Kapsel befindet sich immer noch, technisch gesehen, in einer Erdumlaufbahn, wenn auch einer extrem langgezogenen (Raumfahrtexperten sprechen von einem Molnija-Orbit), mit Apogäum bei 407.000 km; strenggenommen handelt es sich sogar um eine suborbitale Bahn. Nach dem 3. Keplerschen Gesetz (das bestrichene Flächensegment der Bahn muß ungeachtet der Entfernung im gleichen Zeitabschnitt gleich bleiben) nimmt die Geschwindigkeit mit zunehmender Entfernung von der Erde ab; sie beläuft sich zurzeit auf 2541 Meilen pro Stunden (4090 km/h).
"Les hommes seront toujours fous; et ceux qui croient les guérir sont les plus fous de la bande." - Voltaire
Ich habe mir eben nochmal die Stelle aus der Liveübertragung angehört, die ich beim Frühstück so am Rande mitgekriegt hatte.
Zitat ...But during that call down, the crew was discussing an upcoming wastewater dump. And basically that is when the stored urine is on board this the Orion Spacecraft is vented overboard, and this takes place every day by the crew, similar to the space shuttle. And the crew is now also entering into their sleep period...
Die kippen ihre Pisse einfach zum Fenster raus (etwas flapsig ausgedrückt)? Gefriert das nicht sofort? Naja, es ist halt nicht die ISS, wo man sowas wahrscheinlich aufbereiten kann. Sachen gibts.
Gruß Morn <>< ______________________________________ Socialism in general has a record of failure so blatant that only an intellectual could ignore or evade it. Thomas Sowell
Zitat von Morn im Beitrag #102Gefriert das nicht sofort? Naja, es ist halt nicht die ISS, wo man sowas wahrscheinlich aufbereiten kann.
Die Weltraumtoilette in der Ingenuity läuft unter UWMS (Universal Waste Management System). Das funktionert mit einem Druckgebläse, das Urin und Fäkalien in dafür vorgesehene Sammelbehälter bläst, die dann 1x täglich nach draußen befördert werden. Der Urin gefriert dabei schlagartig zu winzigen, grauen Eiskristallen. Auf der ISS übernimmt die Aufgabe das UPA (Urine Processor Assembly). Dabei wird der Urin zusammen mit dem übrigen Brauchwasser zunächst mit Schwefelsäure und Chromtrioxid (CrO³) desinfiziert, anschließend im Vakuum verdunstet und dann durch Kondensation wiedergewonnen. Dabei werden 98% des benutzten Wassers in Trinkwasserqualität recycelt. Der feste Anteil wird in speziellen Beuteln gesammelt und über die Progress-Transporter entsorgt, die beim Atmosphäreneintritt verglühen.
Was das Recyceln von Kot betrifft, sind wir natürlich alle mit der Verwendung als Dünger in "The Martian" in der Filmfassung von 2015 vertraut. Es ist nicht das erste Mal, daß das Thema im Film angesprochen wird: das war der Moment als in "2001: A Space Odyssey" Dr. Heywood Floyd auf der ringförmigen Raumstation einen ziemlich verzweifelten Blick auf die Benutzungsanleitung der Weltraumtoilette wirft (mit der Ironie, daß dort ja künstlich erzeugte Schwerkraft herrscht). Durchgespielt worden ist das zum ersten Mal (soweit ich das aus der Lamäng überblicke, aber angesichts der ziemlich puritanisch-verklemmten Haltung des Genres bis in die späten 50er Jahre dürfte es da kaum Vorläufer geben) in Robert A. Heinleins sechstem Jugendroman, The Rolling Stones, von 1952, wo das ebenfalls als Dünger zum Einsatz kommt. PS.
Zitat April 4, 2026 at 3:31 PM
Flight Day 4: Artemis 2 astronauts report burning smell from Orion toilet
Late last night, the Artemis 2 crew reported a burning smell from their Orion spacecraft's toilet.
"Regarding the smell, I just wanted to make sure you all were tracking the EGS notes of the kind of burning heater smell that was coming from toilet several times," Artemis 2 mission specialist Christina Koch radioed to Mission Control. "It was never identified as the source, what it exactly was, but it was identified as an unknown smell."
Flight controllers in Mission Control initially suspected that the smell may be originating from orange insulation on the toilet's hygiene bay door, and weren't concerned about it.
"Overall, we don't have any major concerns," Mission Control radioed the crew.
The astronauts radioed back that it didn't seem to be the source, but smelled similar to starting up an old electric heater that's been not used in awhile. Mission Control will continue to evaluate it, but the crew did receive clearance to continue using the toilet.
PPS. Gebrauchsanleitung für die Weltraumtoilette in "2001":
Zero Gravity Toilet
Passengers are advised to read instructions before use
1 The toilet is of the standard zero-gravity type. Depending on requirements, system A and/or System B can be used, details of which are clearly marked in the toilet compartment. When operating System A, depress lever and a plastic dalkron eliminator will be dispensed through the slot immediately underneath. When you have fastened the adhesive strip, attach connection marked by the large "A" outlet hose. Twist the silver coloured ring one inch below the connection point until you feel it lock.
2 The toilet is now ready for use. The Sonovac cleanser is activated by the small switch on the lip. When securing, twist the ring back to its initial-condition, so that the two orange lines meet. Disconnect. Place the dalkron eliminator in the vacuum receptacle to the rear. Activate by pressing the blue button.
3 The controls for System B are located on the opposite wall. The red release switch places the uroliminator into position; it can be adjusted manually up or down by pressing the blue manual release button. The opening is self-adjusting. To secure after use, press the green button which simultaneously activates the evaporator and returns the uroliminator to its storage position.
4 You may leave the lavatory if the green exit light is on over the door. If the red light is illuminated, one of the lavatory facilties is not properly secured. Press the "Stewardess" call button to the right of the door. She will secure all facilities from her control panel outside. When green exit light goes on you may open the door and leave. Please close door behind you.
5 The use the Sonoshower, first undress and place all your clothes in the clothes rack. Put on the velcro slippers located in the cabinet immediately below. Enter the shower. On the control panel to your upper right upon entering you will see a "Shower seal" button. Press to acitvate. A green light will then be illuminated immediately below. On the intensity knob select the desired setting. Now depress the Sonovac activation lever. Bathe normally.
6 The Sonovac will automatically go off after three minutes unless you activate the "Manual off" over-ride switch by flipping it up. When you are ready to leave, press the blue "Shower seal" release button. The door will open and you may leave. Please remove the velcro slippers and place them in their container.
7 If the red light above this panel is on, the toiled is in use. When the green light is iluminated you may enter. However, you must carefully follow all instructions when using the facilities during coasting (Zero G) flight. Inside there are three facilities: (1) the Sonowasher, (2) the Sonoshower, (3) the toilet. All three are designed to used under weightless conditions. Please observe the sequence of operations for each individual facility.
8 Two modes for Sonowashing your face and hands are available, the "moist-towel" mode and the "Sonovac" ultrasonic cleaner mode. You may sleect either mode by moving the appropriate lever to the "Activate" position.
If you choose "moist-towel" mode, depress the indicated yellow button and withdraw item. When you have finished, discard the towel in the vacuum dispenser, holding the indicated lever in an "active" position until the green light goes on ... showing that the rollers have passed the towel completely into the dispenser. If you desire an additional towel, press the yellow button and repeat the cycle.
9 If you prefer the "Sonovac" ultrasonic cleaning mode, press the indicated blue button. When the twin panels open, pull forward by rings A and B. For cleanig the hands, use in this position. Set the timer to positions 10, 20, 30 or 40 ... indicative of the number of seconds required. The knob to the left, just below the blue light, has three settings, low, medium or high. For normal use, the medium seting is suggested.
10 After these setting have been made, you can activate the device by switching to the "ON" position the clearly marked red switch. If, during the washing operation, you wish to change the settings, pres the "manual off" over-ride switch in the "OFF" position. You may now make the change and repeat the cycle.
Den Kleinen Zyniker™ erinnert das an den leicht bejahrten Witz mit der älteren Lady aus England, die eine Kreuzfahrt nach Ägypten gebucht hat und nach dem Ablegen in Gibraltar den Deckstewart fragt, wo sie sich denn wohl etwas ... frisch machen könnte. "Port side, ma'am!" - "Oh, I can't wait THAT long!"
"Les hommes seront toujours fous; et ceux qui croient les guérir sont les plus fous de la bande." - Voltaire
Zitat von Ulrich Elkmann im Beitrag #103 ... in Robert A. Heinleins sechstem Jugendroman, The Rolling Stones, von 1952, wo das ebenfalls als Dünger zum Einsatz kommt.
Kommando zurück. Das kommt davon, wenn man das freihändig nach 40+ Jahren aus dem Gedächtnis zitiert. Auslöser war ein kleines Beiseit in einer Besprechung durch Damon Knight, die sich in seiner Sammlung In Search of Wonder (zuerst 1956, und dann stark erweitert 1967). Und Knight widmet Heinlein dort ein eigenes stattliches Kapitel, u.a. eben zu The Rolling Stones, und dort geht es um die Tramp-Raumschifffahrt einer Familie, vom Mond zum Mars und weiter zu den Asteroiden, mit den technischen Details dazu - allerdings, wie ein nachgeholter prüfender Blick in den Text ergibt, hauptsächlich zum Treibstoffverbrauch, zur Orbitalmechanik und zu möglichen Handelsmöglichkeiten als ökonomischer Grundlage für ein solches Unterfangen: S. 180-182 in meiner Ausgabe von 1967.
Der Passus, den ich im Gedächtnis hatte, findet sich in einem späteren Kapitel, "Curiosa" (S. 206-219) in einer Rezension des seit zwei Generationen völlig vergessenen britischen Autors Jefferey Lloyd Castle, Satellite E One (London: Eyre & Spottiswode, New York: Dodd, Mead - beide 1954):
Zitat This one was written without the slightest idea of what a novel is: it's three-quarters treatise, all very correct and British, some of it remarkably astute, about the probable development of a space station project. ... The only thing that unites the jumbled pieces of this book is the temporal progress of the space station project ... This narrator, one of the three people who take turns telling the story, spends half his time explaining the ABC's of spaceflight at great muddled length, and nearly the other half spinning out a fantastic series of bright ideas - a logical but slightly breathtaking scheme for making use of waste products in the space station (they're delicious!). (Advent Publishers, New York 1967, S. 208-9)
Apropos "ökonomische Grundlagen": eine davon hat David Gerrold, seines Zeichens ebenfalls amerikanischer SF-Autor, die Freundschaft mit Heinlein gekostet. Gerrold hat als junger Fan zu Beginn seiner Karriere (als Autor hat er 1969-70 debütiert) sich einen Namen mit dem einzigen Text gemacht, der Fans heute noch geläufig ist, auch wenn ihnen der Name nichts sagt: mit einem Drehbuch für "Star Trek": "The Trouble with Tribbles." Gene Coon, Chefmitarbeiter von Gene Roddenberry, hat Heinlein eine knappe Zusammenfassung zugeschickt und gefragt, ob Einwände bestünden. Heinlein, der nie eine Folge der Serie gelesen hatte (das war noch zur Sendezeit der 1. Staffel), hat sein Plazet gegeben. Als die Folge (Nr 15 der 2. Staffel, zuerst auf NBC am 29. Dezember 1967) ausgestrahlt wurde, mußte R.A.H. feststellen, daß Gerrold sich die marsianischen "Flat Cats" aus "The Rolling Stones" 1:1 ausgeborgt hatte.
Zitat Thirty-seven days out Fuzzy-Britches had eight golden little kitties, exactly like their parent but only a couple of inches across when flat, marble-sized when contracted. Everyone including Captain Stone thought they were cute, stroking them with a gentle forefinger and listening carefully for the tiny purr, so high as to be almost beyond human ear range. Everyone enjoyed feeding them and they seemed to be hungry all the time.
Sixty-four days later the kitten had kittens, eight each. Sixty-four days after that, the one hundred and forty sixth day after Phobos departure, the kittens' kittens had kittens; that made five hundred and thirteen.
"This," said Captain Stone, "has GOT to stop!" ... "I wouldn't want to kill the little things. I can't manage to hate them. Drat it, they're too cool."
Ich zitiere nach der ersten Taschenbuchausgabe bei Ballantine Books, 1977, Kap XIV: "Flat Cats Factorial," S. 192-93.
"Les hommes seront toujours fous; et ceux qui croient les guérir sont les plus fous de la bande." - Voltaire
Zitat April 4, 2026 at 10:46 PM Flight Day 4: Artemis 2 Orion capsule urine vent issue fixed
HOUSTON -- What a relief!
NASA's Orion spacecraft can finally vent wastewater, including urine from its astronaut crew, overboard again, allowing the four astronaut Artemis 2 crew to stop using contingency bags when they have to pee.
Mission Control asked the crew to start using the contingency bags late Friday when the vent nozzle to dump Orion's wastewater developed a blockage. Flight controllers suspected it was from ice buildup and spent hours today facing the port toward the sun and using heaters to melt any buildup.
That work was apparently a success, and Orion successully performed its first wastewater dump since yesterday.
Wobei, wobei... Zettels Raum bezieht seinen Namen ja bekanntlich aus Arno Schmidts Zettels Traum (in der Erstauflage von 1970 noch ohne, seit der Druckfassung statt dem Typoskript-Faksimile (Suhrkamp 2010) mit apostrophiertem sächsischem Geh-nie-tief). Und dort ist Buch VI, "Rohrfrei!" (Zettel 756-961) ja ganz + gar genau diesem Problem gewidmet.
Zitat ...Es trägt den Titel : ›Rohrfrei!‹ und das nicht ohne Grund: In diesem Buch drehen sich die Gespräche der Figuren unter anderem um jenes pikante Verhältnis, das Edgar Allen Poe zu seinen und den Fäkalien seiner Mitmenschen hatte, während zeitgleich auf der Handlungsebene des Romans von einem Bauern mit Namen Stephan die Klogrube des Hauses von Dän Pagenstecher ausgepumpt wird, der Hauptfigur (10). Eine genaue Lektüre des Schmidt’schen Monsterbuches ohne Gattungsbezeichnung würde zeigen können, wie der Kot buchstäblich durch all seine Kanäle fließt, Verstopfung nicht ausgeschlossen (11). Und im übertragenen Sinne verleibt sich dieses aus der Art geschlagene Buch das Werk von Poe, all dessen Buchstaben ein, die dort wiederum nichts anderes als Mülleimer für seine Fäkalien und Sexualphantasien sind. Um die These bereits vorwegzunehmen: Der Textkörper Zettel’s Traum betreibt auf komplexe Weise einen Metabolismus von Fäkalien und Buchstaben, der schlussendlich das Unbewusste als seine Oberfläche, seine Haut ausstülpt, als Rest von Texten und Texturen. Paradoxerweise hat dieser Text selbst deshalb kein Unbewusstes.
Peter Risthaus, ": >Rohrfrei!< Der Buchstabe als Klogrube in Arno Schmidts Zettel's Raum," Vorläufiges zu Zettels Raum, S. 185f.
"Les hommes seront toujours fous; et ceux qui croient les guérir sont les plus fous de la bande." - Voltaire
Flight Day 4: Artemis 2 astronauts to fly Orion, urine vent update
Hey, Space Fans! I've got a quick update on the Artemis 2 Orion urine vent issue we mentioned earlier. It turns out, that NASA's fix for the urine vent blockage - basically to heat it up to try and clear any ice blockage - only partially worked.
Flight controllers were able to empty half of the the urine tank on Orion before stopping for the day, so the Artemis 2 crew has still been advised to use their contingency bags, Artemis 2 flight director Judd Frieling told reporters here today in a press conference.
"We directed the crew to continue to use their contingency collapsible urinal devices," Frieling said. "We'll continue to troubleshoot that."
Each crewmember has two contingency bags to use for the mission, but they are able to empty them into the Orion urine tank for venting when it is available.
Mission Control gave the crew the go-ahead to use a backup venting line for most of the rest of today, so they may be able to use the toilet urinal when available.
By the way, NASA astronaut Don Pettit, who is not on the Artemis 2 mission, shared some photos of what that collapsible urinal device looks like. Check it out:
Zitat Don Pettit@astro_Pettit·5h The Collapsable Contingency Urinal (CCU) now being used on Artemis 2 after a toilet malfunction. Essentially an open container (reusable, sealable, and drainable) that controls the urine-air interface using capillary forces like my Space Cup does coffee. When you are in cislunar space with a broken toilet, you need contingencies and the CCU replaces the need for about 25 pounds of diapers.
Zitat von Ulrich Elkmann im Beitrag #103Depending on requirements, system A and/or System B can be used
Zitat Ryan Caton@dpoddolphinpro TOILET UPDATE: Full Orion toilet functionality is expected to be restored in approximately 2 hours, according to Mission Control Houston.
Since the previous update, the toilet has been limited to Numbers 2s, allowing the stored waste in the tank to be vented into space.
In the meantime, the crew is continuing to use the Contingency Urinals for Number 1s. 3:52 AM · Apr 5, 2026
Zitat Ryan Caton@dpoddolphinpro BREAKING TOILET UPDATE: THE TOILET HAS RETURNED TO FULL OPERATIONAL USE
Houston: "It's maybe another hour before we can get back to you with a forward plan"
@Astro_Christina: "Would you authorize one use of the toilet *chuckles*" 😅
Houston: "Checking"
[prolonged pause]
Houston: "Integrity, Houston, Breaking News [...] At this time, you are good for all types of uses of the toilet"
Koch: "AND THE CREW REJOICES! Thank You!" 5:48 AM · Apr 5, 2026
Zeigt sehr schön die jeweiligen Positionen von Mond + Kapsel. Mit der Funktion "Simulate travel" läßt sich der kommende Bahnverlauf anschaulich darstellen.
"Les hommes seront toujours fous; et ceux qui croient les guérir sont les plus fous de la bande." - Voltaire
Zitat April 5, 2026 at 3:16 PM Flight Day 5: Easter means spacesuit tests for Artemis 2 crew
Artemis 2 pilot Victor Glover shared a heartfelt message for Easter yesterday. You can see video of it and read about it here from Space.com Spaceflight Editor Mike Wall.
"This is an opportunity for us to remember where we are, who we are, and that we are the same thing, and that we've gotta get through this together," Glover said.
Late last night, the astronauts spent some time observing the moon in preparation for their lunar flyby tomorrow (April 6).
"I'm not picking up any color yet, just with the human eye," Artemis 2 commander Reid Wiseman radioed to Mission Control. "Definitely see all of the relief and Orientale, Aristarchus and Copernicus easily, all in view. This is so awesome."
"We do apparently have a full moon, we can't detect any terminator at all. it looks like full limb all the way around," mission specialist Christina Koch said. But later she spotted the terminator, the border between day and night on the moon. "I do think we have a terminator...you can see the topography all along the terminator and it is awesome."
Zitat April 5, 2026 at 7:17 PM
Mission Control woke the crew at 11:50 a.m. EDT (1650 GMT) today with the song "Working Class Heroes (Work)" by CeeLo Green.
There was also a bit of a surprise. After the song, NASA included a recorded message from Apollo astronaut Charlie Duke.
"Hello, Reid, Victor, Christina and Jeremy. This is Apollo 16 astronaut Charlie Duke," Duke said in the message. "John Young and I landed on the moon in 1972 in the lunar module we named Orion. I'm glad to see a different kind of Orion helping return humans to the moon as America charts the course to the lunar surface. Below you on the moon is a photo of my family. I pray it reminds you that we in America, and all of the world, are cheering you on. Thanks to you and the whole team on the ground for building on our Apollo legacy with Artemis. Godspeed and safe travels home."
Duke, Young and Ken Mattingly, Apollo 16 command module pilot, launched to the moon on April 16, 1972, with Duke and Young landing on April 20 at a site called Descartes in the lunar highlands. They returned to Earth on April 27.
Zitat On Saturday (April 4), as Artemis 2's Orion capsule sped toward the moon, a CBS News reporter asked mission pilot Victor Glover if he wished to share any Easter thoughts with those of us here on Earth.
"I don't have anything prepared. I'm glad you brought it up, though; I think these observances are important," Glover responded.
Then he gave us some words that showed how thoughtful and eloquent he is, and how well he can think on his feet.
"You guys are talking to us because we're in a spaceship really far from Earth, but you're on a spaceship called Earth that was created to give us a place to live in the universe," Glover said. "Maybe the distance we are from you makes you think what we're doing is special, but we're the same distance from you. And I'm trying to tell you — just trust me — you are special."
Glover invoked God and the Bible in his impromptu address, but he took pains to reach believers and non-believers alike
"In all of this emptiness — this is a whole bunch of nothing, this thing we call the universe — you have this oasis, this beautiful place that we get to exist together," he said of Earth. "I think, as we go into Easter Sunday, thinking about all the cultures all around the world, whether you celebrate it or not, whether you believe in God or not, this is an opportunity for us to remember where we are, who we are, and that we are the same thing, and that we've gotta get through this together."
Flight Day 5: Artemis 2 arrives in lunar space | Artemis 2 is now in the moon's "sphere of influence"
The Artemis 2 astronauts arrived in lunar space early Monday morning (April 6), becoming the first people to do so since the Apollo 17 crew in December 1972.
Artemis 2's Orion capsule entered the moon's "sphere of influence" — the region where lunar gravity is stronger than that of Earth — at 12:37 a.m. EDT (0437 GMT) on Monday. At the time, the capsule was about 39,000 miles (62,764 kilometers) from the moon and 232,000 miles (373,368 km) from Earth.
Orion will get much closer to the lunar surface: It will zoom about 4,000 miles (6,400 km) miles above the gray dirt on Monday evening, during a flyby that will serve to slingshot them back toward Earth. Follow Space.com for updates about the flyby, which will peak at around 7 p.m. EDT (2300 GMT).
Zitat April 6, 2026 at 2:26 PM
Flight Day 6: Artemis 2 nears Apollo distance record | Welcome to lunar flyby day!
The Artemis 2 astronauts have arrived in the moon's sphere of influence, and are now preparing for a very full day of lunar observations.
They crossed the celestial threshold early Monday morning (April 6), becoming the first people to do so since the crew of Apollo 17, in 1972.
The pull of the moon's gravity on the Artemis 2 Orion capsule officially became stronger than Earth's influence on the spcecraft at 12:37 a.m. EDT (0437 GMT), as Orion flew 39,000 miles (62,764 kilometers) above the moon and 232,000 miles (373,368 km) from Earth.
Today, they will break the distance record set by Apollo 13, which flew 248,655 miles (400,171 kilometers) from Earth. Artemis 2 reach that, and then some, but between breaking the record and setting their own, they will have hours of lunar observations to conduct as Orion makes its closest approach to the moon.
Here's a full breakdown of what to expect today (all times in EDT):
1 p.m.: NASA lunar flyby coverage begins. 1:56 p.m.: Apollo 13 distance record broken 2:10 p.m.: Crew remarks about record 2:15 p.m.: Crew configures Orion for flyby 2:45 p.m.: Lunar observation period begins 6:47 p.m.: Loss of communications (estimated 40-min.) 7:02 p.m.: Closest approach to the moon 7:05 p.m.: Maximum distance from Earth 8:35 p.m.: Orion enters solar eclipse period 9:20 p.m.: Lunar observation period ends 9:32 p.m.: Solar eclipse period concludes
Zitat Javi Lopez ⛩️@javilopen It blows my mind that I was able to "code" a 3D simulator of the Artemis II mission flight in just a few hours, and it’s better than NASA's own.
LINK IN THE NEXT POST 👇
It even matches Earth's rotation and the day/night cycle perfectly in real time. And when you move the time slider, the Earth rotates accordingly. You can check it against the actual time yourself if you want. It uses your browser’s local time, by the way.
And everything is textured: the Moon, the Earth, even a 3D model of the spacecraft.
On top of that, the ship's 3D trajectory is spot on, using NASA's official f*cking REAL TIME spacecraft data so you can see exactly where it is at any moment.
And all of this without writing a single line of code. Claude even made the GitHub project, the description, everything. I’ll share more details in the next tweet.
Absolutely insane. I still haven't gotten used to this new normal. 12:48 PM · Apr 6, 2026
The Artemis 2 crew -- Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen -- are currently sleeping. They are due to wake up at 10:50 a.m. EDT (1450 GMT) when NASA will play them a wakeup song to get them prepped for the day.
NASA's official livestream will begin at 1 p.m. EDT (1700 GMT), with the seven-hour moon flyby observation period set to begin at 1:30 p.m. EDT (1730 GMT).
The astronauts will work in two-person shifts over five hours of the main flyby period. They'll use a tablet-based Lunar Targeting Plan app to record voice observations of their targets while also taking potentially thousands of photos of moon craters, plains and mountains.
Time (in EDT/GMT) 9:50 a.m. EDT / 1350 GMT Artemis 2 crew wakes up | This begins Flight Day 6. Flyby day. NASA will play the crew a song.
1 p.m. EDT / 1700 GMT NASA's main livestream begins | This is a special broadcast. The 24/7 feed will transition to this.
1:56 p.m. EDT / 1756 GMT Artemis 2 surpasses Apollo 13 distance record | The Orion ship will fly farther than Apollo 13, going beyond 248,655 miles from Earth.
2:10 p.m. EDT / 1810 GMT Artemis 2 crew comments on beating Apollo 13 record | The Artemis 2 crew will comment on their new record, but we'll get audio only.
2:15 p.m. EDT / 1815 GMT Orion cabin configured for flyby | The astronauts will darken the cabin lights and prep cameras and other gear.
2:45 p.m. EDT / 1845 GMT Seven-hour moon flyby observation period begins | The Artemis 2 crew will observe both near and far sides of the moon. The main phase lasts five hours.
4:35 p.m. EDT / 2035 GMT Interior views of Orion | NASA will show inside views of Orion during the flyby.
Ongoing. Observations continue. | The crew has 35 targets for 10 science objectives. They may see the Apollo 14 and Apollo 12 landing sites.
6:47 p.m. EDT / 2247 GMT Loss of signal | NASA will temporarily lose contact with Artemis 2. It should last 40 minutes.
7:02 p.m. EDT / 2307 GMT Artemis 2 closest to moon | Orion will be about 4,070 miles above the moon at closest approach.
7:05 p.m. EDT / 2305 GMT Artemis 2 reaches its farthest point from Earth | Orion will be at its farthest from Earth, at about 252,760 miles away.
7:27 p.m. EDT / 2327 GMT Reacquisition of signal | Mission Control should reacquire signal with Artemis 2.
8:35 p.m. EDT / 0035 GMT on April 7 Artemis 2 sees solar eclipse | The astronauts will see the moon block the sun in a total solar eclipse. It will last 53 minutes.
9:20 p.m. / 0120 GMT on April 7 Artemis 2 lunar flyby observation period ends | The flyby observing period ends. The crew begins sending some imagery to Earth.
"Les hommes seront toujours fous; et ceux qui croient les guérir sont les plus fous de la bande." - Voltaire
The Artemis 2 astronauts are awake for moon flyby day and they just got a special recorded message from legendary astronaut Jim Lovell, who sadly died last year.
Lovell was the pilot of the Apollo 8 mission in 1968, the first flight of astronauts around the moon, and he commanded the Apollo 13 mission that flew the last free return trajectory around the moon in 1970. It was Apollo 13, NASA's near disaster mission, that set the distance record from Earth that Artemis 2 will break today.
"Hello, Artemis 2, this is Apollo astronaut Jim Lovell. Welcome to my old neighborhood," Lovell said in the message, which was recorded months before his death in August.. "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," Lovell added. "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."
"That was an awesome message from Jim Lovell," Artemis 2 commander Reid Wiseman radioed to Mission Control. "Very cool to hear him. welcome us to the neighborhood. It's gonna be a great day."
Die kürzeste Entfernung wird sich auf 4050 Meilen / 6500 km belaufen; es steht also kein "Erdaufgang" wie bei Apollo 8 zu erwarten. Mondentfernung zurzeit 22.200 km.
Signalverlust im Mondschatten wird um 00:47 MESZ eintreten. 01:02 - nächste Annäherung an die Mondoverfläche. 01:05 - erdfernster Punkt der Bahn 02:24 - Signal wiederhergestellt.
"Les hommes seront toujours fous; et ceux qui croient les guérir sont les plus fous de la bande." - Voltaire
Zitat Why will today’s lunar flyby only beam back low-resolution video? - “Don’t expect hi-res video.”
Robert Pearlman – 6. Apr. 2026 14:59
Although the primary purpose of the Artemis II crew’s observations will be to advance scientists’ understanding of lunar geology, there is no doubt a spectator and inspirational interest in this as well. The flyby of the Moon is expected to be watched by millions of people on Earth, and while any view will be impressive, it may also leave many wanting more.
“We will be getting SAW [solar array wing] camera video streaming during the flyby, except, of course, during the loss of signal when they go behind the Moon,” said Kelsey Young, NASA’s Artemis science flight operations lead, during a pre-flyby press conference. “They’ll be recording the rest on board.”
The SAW cameras are four specialized, modified GoPro cameras. One is mounted on each of four solar array wings that extend out from Orion’s service module.
“For parts of the flyby, we’ll actually be able to go on board with [the astronauts],” said Young, referring to a camera inside Integrity‘s crew cabin.
“Don’t expect high-res video,” added Judd Frieling, Artemis II ascent flight director, “but you will have, as Kelsey mentioned, the SAW cameras through our nominal low-rate video.”
For most of the Artemis II mission, communications between Integrity and NASA’s Mission Control in Houston are being handled by either NASA’s Near Space or Deep Space networks. During the flyby, any imagery being broadcast live to Earth will be via the latter, which relies on transmissions to radio antennas in California, Spain, and Australia.
Integrity is also carrying an experimental optical communication system that uses a laser (infrared light) to transmit data at a higher rate than radio waves can travel, allowing for larger video and imagery files to be transmitted back to Earth more quickly. Prior to the flyby, the demo had successfully transferred more than 100 gigabytes of data collected during the mission thus far.
The optical communications system, though, can only be used at night, as sunlight can cause interference, and it is subject to other limitations, including being pointed in the wrong direction while Integrity’s windows are focused on the lunar surface.
So all of the live imagery from the flyby, as well as the telemetry from the capsule, crew communications with Mission Control, and more has to all be directed through the same radio direct pipeline.
“The challenge is really the distance,” said David Israel, the space internetworking principal for program management at Intuitive Machines, a Houston-based space services, delivery, and infrastructure company, in an interview. “The space station is able to get the continuous, high-rate video that people see because it is in Earth orbit and communicates through the NASA tracking and data relay system, so it moves in and out of view of one relay to another relay providing a near continuous feed.”
“So from the Moon point of view, you have the extra distance,” he said. “And then there’s also a limited number of ground stations on Earth that are currently able to support signals to and from the Moon at high data rates.”
The Deep Space Network might be sufficient if Artemis II were the only mission out there. The reality is that the same antennae that are used to receive signals from the Moon are also needed for the two active rovers on Mars, probes around the Sun and the planets, and spacecraft at the edge of our Solar System and beyond.
Eventually, all of the footage and photos taken by the Artemis II crew on Monday will reach Earth, even if that means landing with the astronauts aboard Orion. NASA plans to share it all with the public so everyone will get to see what Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen saw, albeit not at the same time they saw it.
Fischer foresees a day coming soon when the bandwidth will be available so we can all go along for the ride, while the same lunar relays support multiple missions and lunar surface activities, relieving the demand on the Deep Space Network.
19:53:39 - Erdentfernung 400.000 km. 19:56:20 - Mondentfernung 20.000 km.
Mitunter hat das metrische System doch seinen Charme.
Zitat April 6, 2026 at 8:06 PM Flight Day 6: Artemis 2 astronauts break record for farthest humans from Earth HOUSTON -- The four Artemis 2 astronauts have officially begun their moon observations for today's historic flyby and at 1:56 pm ET they brooke the record for the farthest humans from Earth.
"From the cabin of Integrity here, as we surpass the furthest distance humans have ever traveled from planet Earth, we do so in honoring the extraordinary efforts and feats of our predecessors in human space exploration," Artemis 2 commander Reid Wiseman said. "We will continue our journey even further into space before Mother Earth succeeds in pulling us back to everything that we hold dear, but we most importantly, choose This moment to challenge this generation and the next to make sure this record is not long lived."
Zitat 01:07 Uhr wird die Orion mit 406.772 km die größte Distanz zur Erde erreichen.
01:25 Uhr wird die Erde für die Crew über dem Horizont des Mondes aufgehen.
Von 02:35 bis 03:32 Uhr wird der Mond die Sonne verdecken, für die Orion wird das eine totale Sonnenfinsternis.
03:20 Uhr wird die Beobachtung der Mondoberfläche beendet.
Zitat Matthew Tortora@MatthewTortora_ Looking up at the Moon tonight, knowing that for the first time in my life, but not nearly the last, there are people up there.
We're just under 3 hours into today's 7-hour lunar flyby and the Artemis 2 astronauts have swapped places once again. Christina Koch and Victor Glover have turned over the windows of Orion to Reid Wiseman and Jeremy Hansen. The latter astronauts are wrapping up observations of Glushko Crater, a relatively young crater on the moon.
NASA says the Lunar Science Team is updating its plans based on the observations coming down from the Artemis 2 crew.
The Orion spacecraft is 5,818 miles from the moon and about 252,050 miles from Earth.
Koch said the experience was moving.
"It was an incredible experience," At one point towards the end of the images of my time in window three, I just had an overwhelming sense of being moved by looking at the moon."
"It lasted just a second or two, and I actually couldn't even make it happen again, but something just drew me in suddenly to the lunar landscape, and it became real. And the truth is, the moon really is its own body in the universe."
"It's not just a poster in the sky that goes by. It is a real place. And when we have that perspective, and we compare it to our home of the Earth, it just reminds us how much we have in common. Everything we need, the Earth provides, and that, in and of itself, is somewhat of a miracle, and one that you can't truly know until you've had the perspective of the other."
Glover agreed.
"It was very moving to look out the windows," he said, adding that looking through the zoom lens made it feel like he was on the surface. "It was hard to speak looking through the zoom. I was walking around there on the surface, climbing it. Off-roading on the terrain."
Glover and Koch are due to have their lunch right now.
01:04 - 01:07. Geringste Mondentfernung mit 6543 km; Erdentfernung 406.770 km.
Bei manchen Kommentatoren (leider auch auf dem X-Kanal der NASA) heißt es, es sei das erste Mal, daß Menschen mit eigenen Augen die Mondrückseite zu Gesicht bekämen. Um das ein wenig ins Korrekte zu entzerren:
Die acht Apollo-Missionen, die den Mond umkreist haben, haben natürlich Teile der Rückseite sehen können. Die Umlaufbahnen verliefen in 100 km Höhe, und sie verliefen nahe dem Mondäquator. Aus dieser Entfernung ist der Mondhorizont zwischen 700 und 780 km entfernt. Die Distanz vom Äquator zu den Polen beträgt rund 1750 km. Die Astronauten konnten also, selbst in maximaler perspektivischer Verzerrung, weniger als die Hälfte des Terrains nördlich oder südlich ausmachen. Im Fall von Apollo 13, das den Mond in größerer Entfernung am 15. April 1970 unrundet hat, war die Rückseite zu 19% erleuchtet; zurzeit ist sie es mit 11%. Vor 56 Jahren war das aber 9 Tage nach Neumond, also 5 Tage vor Vollmond (& Verdunkelung auf der Rückseite); heute ist es 19 Tage nach Neumond. Es liegt also die andere Hälfte der Rückseite im Sonnenlicht.
"Les hommes seront toujours fous; et ceux qui croient les guérir sont les plus fous de la bande." - Voltaire
Zitat von Ulrich Elkmann im Beitrag #95Schön zu sehen, daß die NASA sich wieder auf die Tradition des "Guten-Morgen-Lieds" besonnen hat.
Zitat April 7, 2026 at 5:51 PM
FLIGHT DAY 7: ASTRONAUTS WAKE UP TO GLASS ANIMALS
The Artemis 2 astronauts have officially been woken up for their seventh day of flight activities. Today's wake-up song was "Tokyo Drifting" by Glass Animals, and unfortunately it appears the team did not get to hear the chorus this time, either.
When Chappell Roan's "Pink Pony Club" played on Flight Day 4 for just a little while, the crew complained: "We were all eagerly awaiting the chorus." Hopefully the astronauts have their own headphones onboard the Orion spacecraft to listen to songs from start to finish for some relief.
You can have a look at our Spotify playlist of the Artemis 2 wake-up songs here, and we'll be updating this story with each song as the days go by.
Zitat Flight Day 1: "Sleepyhead" by Young & Sick Flight Day 2: "Green Light" by John Legend (feat. André 3000) Flight Day 3: "In a Daydream" by Freddy Jones Band Flight Day 4: "Pink Pony Club" by Chappell Roan Flight Day 5: "Working Class Heroes (Work)" by CeeLo Green Flight Day 6: "Good Morning" by Mandisa, TobyMac
As our Artemis II astronauts prepare to leave the lunar sphere of influence and return to Earth's gravitational pull, they listened to "Tokyo Drifting," by Denzel Curry and Glass Animals, as their wakeup song. 6:09 PM · Apr 7, 2026
Zitat Space got a little chaotic Monday night. While orbiting the Moon, the crew of Artemis II watched bright flashes ripple across the surface, sudden bursts of light that looked like explosions. They weren't imagining it. Meteoroids were striking the Moon in real time.
The sightings came at a surreal moment. About an hour after the spacecraft swung around the Moon's farside, the Sun slipped behind the lunar disk, giving the astronauts a view no human has ever had before: a solar eclipse from behind the Moon, according to NASA.
In that darkness, the impacts stood out.
"They've all been either on or a bit south of the equator and on the Earth side of the moon," astronaut Reid Wiseman said during the live webcast. "Jeremy [Hansen] has seen them on or south of the equator, and mine were both south of the equator and just a little bit left of the center of the moon."
Later, crewmate Victor Glover saw another closer to the Moon's south pole.
During the eclipse, the crew spotted six flashes.
On Earth, meteoroids burn up in the atmosphere. On the Moon, they slam straight into the surface, releasing bursts of energy that create craters and brief flashes of light. NASA has tracked these impacts for years, averaging about 20 detectable events annually.
Small space rocks—from grains of sand to ones as big as boulders—hit the Moon all the time. They travel extremely fast, at tens of kilometers per second. Most of the energy from these crashes goes into making the craters we see on the Moon’s surface. But a tiny amount of that energy (less than 1%) turns into a brief flash of light. These flashes can be seen by spacecraft orbiting the Moon, and sometimes even by telescopes on Earth if conditions are right.
These flashes are vital to scientists who study the Moon. By tracking when and where they happen, scientists can learn how often impacts of different sizes occur, what kinds of craters they create, and how the shock waves travel through the Moon’s interior.
Zitat Ryan Caton@dpoddolphinpro TOILET UPDATE: Artemis II Flight Director Rick Henfling says that @NASA no longer believes the frozen vent theory is causing the waste dump problems.
Orion Integrity's vent was pointed at the sun for ~2 hours a few days ago, which would have melted any blockage, but there is still something restricting the vent.
The current hypothesis is that a chemical reaction with the waste water, used to prevent it developing biofilms, could be generating debris, clogging a filter. 11:29 PM · Apr 7, 2026
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