What to expect from the Artemis II lunar flyby

CBS News
April 6, 2026
6 views
2 min read

Quick Insights

The Bottom Line

The Artemis II crew is preparing for a nine-day lunar flyby mission around the Moon.

AI Summary

The Artemis II crew is preparing for a historic nine-day mission that includes a lunar flyby. This mission involves looping around the Moon, marking a significant step in human space exploration. CBS News space consultant Bill Harwood and Joe Rao, an associate astronomer at New York's Hayden Planetarium, are providing further insights into the upcoming event. The flyby represents a critical test for future lunar missions, paving the way for eventual human landings.

Source Coverage Map

24 of 43 tracked sources covered this story

56% coverage
Did Not Cover (19)
ICIJ97AP World News96ProPublica95Bellingcat95Reuters Investigates94+14 more

Following this story?

Get notified when new coverage appears

Other Sources Covering This Story

5 sources

Multiple outlets have reported on this story. Compare perspectives from different sources.

Story Tracker

This article is part of a story we're tracking:

Artemis II Mission: Lunar Flyby

The Artemis II mission astronauts are on a historic flyby around the Moon, marking the first time humans have journeyed this far in over half a century. The crew has been sharing breathtaking views and is set to break Apollo 13's distance record.

Artemis II Lunar Flyby Mission Progress

The Artemis II crew is preparing for and executing a historic nine-day mission involving a lunar flyby, aiming to loop around the Moon and set a new distance record from Earth. The mission highlights both the advancements and challenges of human space exploration.

Artemis II Crew Sets New Distance Record During Lunar Flyby

The four-person crew of the Artemis II mission successfully completed a lunar flyby, breaking the record for the farthest distance traveled from Earth by humans. This mission marks a significant step in NASA's deep space exploration efforts.

Artemis II Mission Breaks Distance Record

The Artemis II crew has broken the record for the farthest distance traveled from Earth by humans, surpassing the Apollo 13 record. The mission involves a historic loop around the Moon, marking a significant step in NASA's deep space exploration efforts.

Artemis II Mission: Lunar Flyby and Distance Records

The Artemis II mission is making headlines as its crew embarks on a historic lunar flyby, breaking distance records for human spaceflight. The mission aims to observe parts of the moon rarely seen and is a significant step in NASA's deep space exploration efforts.

Artemis II Mission: Lunar Flyby and Distance Record

The Artemis II crew has successfully broken the record for the farthest distance traveled from Earth by humans, surpassing Apollo 13's record. The mission involves a historic lunar flyby, looping around the far side of the Moon as a critical step towards future lunar landings.

Artemis II Mission: Record-Breaking Lunar Flyby

The Artemis II crew has successfully completed a historic lunar flyby, breaking the record for the farthest distance traveled from Earth by humans. The mission included a planned communications blackout as the crew looped around the far side of the moon.

Artemis II Mission Breaks Space Distance Records

The Artemis II crew successfully completed a mission that included a planned communications blackout and a loop around the far side of the moon. During this mission, the four-astronaut crew broke the record for the farthest distance traveled from Earth by humans, surpassing the Apollo 13 record.

Should this be getting more attention?

You Might Have Missed

Related stories from different sources and perspectives

Morning news brief
National Security

Morning news brief

President Trump says Iran has until Tuesday night to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Trump is in a tight corner politically as he ramps up Iran war messaging, Artemis II crew readies for lunar flyby.

NPRApr 6
The week in pictures: Mideast war, a lunar mission and Holy Week processions
Global

The week in pictures: Mideast war, a lunar mission and Holy Week processions

The war in the Middle East showed no sign of ending as President Donald Trump exchanged threats with the Iranian regime and jittery markets sent oil prices surging. The week also saw NASA launch its first crewed lunar mission in half-a-century, Italy miss out on a third successive football World Cup, and Christians mark Holy Week. Here's a look back at some of the most striking images.

© Francisco Seco, APApr 5
Americans expect to work much longer than they would like. Here's why.
Finance

Americans expect to work much longer than they would like. Here's why.

Many employees expect to retire later as mounting expenses strain budgets, while others hunker down at work as part of the "great stay."

CBS NewsApr 8
Trump is expected to meet NATO leader Rutte as he muses about pulling out of the military alliance - AP News
Global

Trump is expected to meet NATO leader Rutte as he muses about pulling out of the military alliance - AP News

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijgFBVV95cUxOMlZ0cTNKYmcybnNwZmV0Y0plc3hLU2k1ZXJ5cFhnamZHWnpaOERPbHFpQVN5VkJkUlEtR0ZRY1MwTVRISHJ3UDhtRXl3cDlsTThVWUhySU5KM29KXzA3bmFtM3QtMm5rVWkyNWdGQzVYYU5mSFVzaGVLOGttTE1aM09uS1B1aDF6RWdlTTVB?oc=5" target="_blank">Trump is expected to meet NATO leader Rutte as he muses about pulling out of the military alliance</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<font color="#6f6f6f">AP News</font>

AP NewsApr 8
Lawyers say up to 75 women expected to benefit from Bank of America settlement in Epstein sex abuse - AP News
Corporate

Lawyers say up to 75 women expected to benefit from Bank of America settlement in Epstein sex abuse - AP News

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipAFBVV95cUxPVHpSMGhYZEJaRWVRZVhicmViZ2FOemZ3cjExWGt6NlZtLWxDQUw4cXlfMTBrNUJzQVN6TjZlYXhTMWVNSlhvZTk4Mi1UMzJVd1dYOUxkX2dJUWphRWtLbkRsM2paZTBPcnl0OFlzUkhoTVdiM2c1dVp2VUNBRnh3N2FIWlpzdjBpeHRBS0tzR0hzV0hHZlNtWVlNMi1Xa3hMV3hOYQ?oc=5" target="_blank">Lawyers say up to 75 women expected to benefit from Bank of America settlement in Epstein sex abuse</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<font color="#6f6f6f">AP News</font>

AP NewsApr 3
China’s Aiming for the Moon, and NASA Is Looking Over Its Shoulder
Global

China’s Aiming for the Moon, and NASA Is Looking Over Its Shoulder

The U.S. space agency launched a lunar flyby Wednesday, but Beijing is pursuing its own space program with formidable focus. Here’s what we know about it, in photos and videos.

New York TimesApr 2
Read Next
Family of man killed in shooting at Florida State University to sue ChatGPT and OpenAI
Technology

Family of man killed in shooting at Florida State University to sue ChatGPT and OpenAI

<p>Lawyers for Robert Morales’s family said chatbot ‘may have advised the shooter’ on how to carry out shooting</p><p>The family of a man who was killed at Florida State University last year plans to sue ChatGPT and its parent organization, OpenAI, for allegedly telling the accused gunman how to carry out the mass shooting.</p><p>Lawyers for the family of Robert Morales <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BrooksLeBoeuf/">wrote in a statement</a> they had learned the shooter was in “constant communication with ChatGPT” ahead of the shooting, and that the chatbot “may have advised the shooter how to commit these heinous crimes”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/08/florida-state-university-shooting-robert-morales-family-sue-chatgpt-openai">Continue reading...</a>

Continue reading

Did this story change how you see things?

Stories like this only matter when people see them. Help us get verified journalism in front of more eyes.

Share this story

Get the daily digest

Save for later

The Verity Ledger curates verified investigative journalism from trusted sources only.

See our sources