netflix artemis 2 is drawing attention as NASA’s Artemis II crew prepares to fly around the Moon and travel farther from Earth than any humans before. The 10-day mission includes commander Reid Wiseman, mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen, and pilot Victor Glover, with live coverage set to begin at 1 p. m. EDT on April 6, 2026. The Orion spacecraft will not land, but it will loop behind the Moon’s far side and return, marking the first time in more than half a century that humans have left Earth orbit.
Artemis II heads into deep lunar space
The flight is now at the point where the Moon’s gravitational pull on the spacecraft is stronger than Earth’s. That shift underscores just how far the crew has pushed beyond the familiar reach of home, with the astronauts heading toward a route that takes them around the Moon rather than down to its surface.
Lunar scientists have already been working through which parts of the Moon will be lit during the flyby. The crew has been preparing to document what they see by taking photos with different digital cameras, making sketches they will annotate, and recording audio descriptions as the journey unfolds.
The mission also has a symbolic edge. The last time humans made this kind of return to the Moon was more than 50 years ago, and the next planned landing is scheduled for 2028 at the lunar south pole.
Inside the 40 minutes when communication cuts out
One of the most closely watched moments will come when the spacecraft passes behind the Moon at about 23: 47 BST, which is 18: 47 EDT on Monday. For about 40 minutes, the radio and laser signals that connect the spacecraft with mission control in Houston, Texas, will be blocked by the Moon itself.
That window will leave the four astronauts on their own in deep space, with no contact home. Victor Glover said before the mission that he hopes people use that time to come together, adding: “When we’re behind the Moon, out of contact with everybody, let’s take that as an opportunity. Let’s pray, hope, send your good thoughts and feelings that we get back in contact with the crew. ”
Back on Earth, the blackout will be watched closely at the Goonhilly Earth Station in Cornwall, where a large antenna has been tracking the Orion capsule and feeding its position back to NASA. Matt Cosby, chief technology officer at Goonhilly, said: “This is the first time we’re tracking a spacecraft with humans on it. We’re going to get slightly nervous as it goes behind the Moon, and then we’ll be very excited when we see it again, because we know that they’re all safe. ”
What the near side reveals before the flyby
The crew has already captured an image of the Moon’s near side, showing dark patches at the center and right that are ancient lava flows unique to that side of the Moon. The spacecraft’s approach has also prompted interest in how the Moon will look during the flyby, since the illuminated terrain will shape what the astronauts can study and record.
In the hours ahead, the crew will continue documenting the journey from inside Orion, while mission teams keep watch from Earth and prepare for the moment the signal returns. For now, netflix artemis 2 stands for a mission built around distance, silence, and a close look at the Moon’s far side before the spacecraft heads back home.
