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By Anna Skinner
Associate News Editor
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Newly released audio from NASA’s Artemis II mission captures the moment astronauts reported they were "falling" toward the Moon as the spacecraft crossed into the Moon’s gravitational sphere of influence, marking a dramatic milestone in humanity’s return to deep space travel.
"We noticed we entered the lunar sphere of influence about an hour ago, and sure enough, we are now falling to the Moon," astronaut Christina Koch said in the audio.
The recording, shared by NASA on Monday morning, features one of the four crew members describing the sensation shortly after Orion transitioned from Earth-dominated gravity into the lunar sphere of influence, a point where the Moon’s pull becomes stronger than Earth’s. Mission controllers confirmed the call-out occurred precisely as planned, signaling a successful trajectory alignment as the spacecraft began its final approach toward lunar orbit.
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Any adjustments necessary to be in the lunar sphere of influence occurred during launch, and when the crew reached orbit, a NASA spokesperson told Newsweek on Monday, confirming that the crew has entered the lunar sphere.
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The clip, shared by NASA on X on Monday morning, has been viewed more than 1.7 million times.
"We're going farther than ever before," NASA posted on X with the audio recording. "Today, the Artemis II crew will break the record for how far humans have traveled from Earth as they fly around the far side of the Moon."
When Will Artemis 2 Reach the Moon?
Artemis 2 will fly by the Moon on Monday, April 6. The event is being livestreamed globally across multiple platforms, including Netflix, allowing viewers around the world to see a deep‑space mission in real time.
The flyby is expected to happen around 2:45 p.m. Eastern time. Communication with the crew will be lost for around 40 minutes at 6:44 p.m. as they fly behind the moon. The closest approach to the moon will occur at approximately 7:02 p.m. The flyby is expected to conclude at 9:20 p.m.
Can You See Artemis 2 With a Telescope?
Artemis II will be visible through telescopes only briefly and under ideal conditions. During the hours immediately following launch, Orion may appear as a fast‑moving point of light as it enters Earth orbit, particularly for skywatchers near the launch corridor or downrange over the Atlantic.
After leaving Earth orbit, however, the spacecraft will quickly become too distant and faint to track reliably with backyard telescopes. NASA has indicated that most of the mission’s visuals for the public will come from onboard cameras rather than ground‑based observation.
Can You See Artemis 2 From Earth?
For most people, the best chance to see Artemis II with the naked eye was during launch. The rocket was visible for several minutes as it climbed into orbit.
Once Orion separates from the rocket and begins its journey toward the Moon, the spacecraft will no longer be visible without specialized equipment. NASA plans to provide live video from inside and outside the capsule as the crew travels farther from Earth than any human mission in more than 50 years.
How Many Times Will Artemis 2 Orbit the Moon?
Artemis 2 is not designed to enter long‑term lunar orbit like a satellite, but it is expected to complete at least one looping pass around the Moon. NASA’s current mission profile includes a lunar flyby.
The focus, NASA has said, is on safely navigating the spacecraft through cislunar space and validating systems needed for future lunar landing missions under Artemis 3 and beyond.
Update 4/6/2026, 1:03 p.m. ET: This article was updated to include additional information.
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