NASA officials shared new details on the Artemis II mission, highlighting life support limits, technical challenges, and what astronauts may observe during their trip around the Moon.
The mission’s six-day constraint is driven by oxygen supply.
“As far as the 144-hour constraint that is tied to the oxygen and the ability to supply oxygen to the crew, those tanks are only so big, and they were sized for that contingency,” officials said during Sunday’s press conference.
Engineers also confirmed Orion’s cabin pressure will be lowered to prepare for future docking missions.
“You’re correct that we are planning on decreasing the cabin pressure in Orion that was always part of the plan,” they said.
The spacecraft will travel farther than any previous crewed mission, reaching 252,760 miles from Earth and passing about 4,000 miles from the Moon.
MORE ON THE MISSION: Artemis II toilet acts up again as astronauts speed toward the moon to break Apollo 13’s record
Scientists say the flyby could reveal new insights—especially from the Moon’s far side.
“We don’t know what to expect,” one scientist said. “This is exploration, right?”
NASA teams are particularly interested in how the human eye will perceive subtle color variations on the lunar surface.
“Negative observations, not seeing something is science,” the scientist added.
NASA will begin live coverage of the flyby on Monday at 1 p.m. Eastern.
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