Lunar Flyby: Artemis II set to break all-time deep space record today

More than half a century after the dust settled on the final Apollo moonwalk, humanity is back in the lunar neighborhood. Monday, April 6th, marks Day 6 of the historic Artemis II mission, as the Orion spacecraft prepares for a flyby that will take humanity further into space than ever before.

According to NASA, the last time a crewed vessel ventured this deep into the void was Apollo 17 in 1972. Today, that record is set to fall.

Local News 8 is streaming NASA's broadcast of the Artemis II lunar flyby from cameras mounted on Orion’s solar arrays. The lunar flyby will start around 1:00 p.m. EDT, reaching peak distance by 7:07 p.m EDT. Watch below as humanity ventures further into space than ever before:

According to NASA, the Orion spacecraft will come within 4,000 to 6,000 miles of the moon’s surface as it uses lunar gravity to slingshot back toward Earth. During this maneuver, the mission is expected to shatter the long-standing distance record set by Apollo 13. In April 1970, that crew reached a distance of 248,655 miles from Earth during their emergency return; today, NASA says Artemis II is projected to reach a staggering peak distance of 252,706 miles.

NASA has outlined the key moments of the lunar flyby:

Monday, April 6

• 1:30 p.m. Science Briefing: Mission Control in Houston briefs the crew on lunar science objectives.
• 1:56 p.m. Record Breaking: Orion officially surpasses the Apollo 13 distance record.
• 2:45 p.m. Eyes on the Moon: Lunar observations and photography begin.
• 6:44 p.m. Radio Silence: Communication is lost as Orion passes behind the far side of the moon.
• 7:02 p.m. Hello Neighbor: Orion reaches its closest approach to the Moon at 4,070 miles above the surface.
• 7:07 p.m. Maximum Distance: The crew reaches the mission's furthest point from Earth.
• 7:25 p.m. Earthrise: Home comes back into view; communications are re-established.
• 8:35 p.m. Solar Eclipse: The sun passes behind the moon from the crew's perspective.
• 9:20 p.m. That's All Folks: Lunar observations conclude.