Space: Artemis II astronauts are more than halfway to the moon

The Artemis II astronauts have surpassed the midpoint of their journey to the moon, marking a major milestone in NASA's effort to return humans to lunar exploration after a 50-year gap. The crew received ceremonial recognition from Canada on Saturday as they continued their mission, which will take them farther from Earth than any crewed spacecraft since the Apollo era. Unlike Apollo missions, Artemis II is designed as a lunar fly-around rather than a landing, testing life support systems and navigation for future crewed lunar landings. The mission represents a crucial stepping stone toward NASA's broader goal of establishing sustained human presence on the moon and eventually supporting missions to Mars. With the spacecraft now in its critical mid-mission phase, the crew will conduct orbital tests and gather data essential for subsequent Artemis missions carrying astronauts to the lunar surface.