The Orion spacecraft has entered the gravitational zone of the Moon

The Orion spacecraft of the Artemis II mission has entered the Moon's gravitational influence zone. The crew will set a record for the greatest distance from Earth and perform a flyby of the satellite.

This was reported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on its official website.

According to the information, the lunar flyby will be broadcast live. The broadcast began today at 21:00 Baku time. The coverage will include a live feed from cameras mounted on Orion's solar arrays. When the spacecraft passes behind the Moon, communication with the crew will be interrupted for approximately 40 minutes due to radio signal blockage. The flyby itself will take about 7 hours.

The Artemis II mission launched on April 2 from Cape Canaveral in the United States. The flight follows a free-return trajectory without landing, and will last approximately 10 days. The project is regarded as a preparatory stage for the return of humans to the Moon.