FLORIDA : The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Artemis II mission is progressing steadily, with astronauts now more than halfway to the Moon as preparations intensify for a historic lunar flyby.

In a post on X on Saturday, NASA shared an update on the mission’s status, stating, “Lock in, we’re Moonbound. Artemis II astronauts are more than halfway to their destination, and preparations for lunar flyby are underway.”

The space agency added that during their journey around the far side of the Moon, the crew will capture imagery to share with scientists and the public.

Earlier, NASA had confirmed the milestone, noting, “We’re halfway there. At the time of posting this, the Artemis II mission is about halfway to the Moon. When the astronauts arrive, they will conduct a lunar flyby and collect scientific observations of the Moon’s surface.”

The preparations for the upcoming lunar observation phase came after the first outbound trajectory correction burn was cancelled, NASA stated in an earlier update.

According to NASA, astronauts onboard the Orion spacecraft started configuring the cabin for the lunar observation period on Monday, April 6. The preparation marks a key step as the mission advances toward its planned lunar flyby.

The space agency also noted that crew members have been actively engaged in routine in-flight activities, including physical exercise, medical response drills, and testing the spacecraft’s emergency communication systems in deep space.

“These activities are critical to ensuring crew health and mission readiness during long-duration spaceflight,” the space agency stated in a blogpost update on the mission.

Earlier on Friday, the space agency released breathtaking high-resolution images of Earth, captured from the Orion capsule as the Artemis II astronauts continue their journey to the Moon.

The astronauts are now on course to travel around the Moon for the first time since the historic Apollo 17 mission in 1972.

The Artemis II crew comprises NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. (ANI)