Artemis II Nears Lunar Flyby as Crew Troubleshoot Frozen Urine Tank
Artemis II crew of four nears lunar flyby on a 10-day, 695,081-mile mission while engineers troubleshoot a frozen urine tank and capture far-side lunar images.
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ARS TechnicaArtemis II is going so well that we're left to talk about frozen urine
Straight Arrow NewsNASA shares pictures as Artemis II crew moves closer toward the moon
Overview
NASA said the Artemis II crew is preparing for a Monday lunar flyby after the Orion capsule moved closer to the moon than to Earth.
The crew will photograph about 20% of the lunar far side and are expected to reach a maximum distance of 252,757 miles at 7:05 p.m. ET, surpassing Apollo 13's 248,655-mile record, NASA said.
Flight controllers reoriented Orion to warm a vent line after pee froze in a urine tank, and astronauts have been using contingency collapsible urinals while engineers troubleshoot the issue, Flight Director Judd Frieling said.
The four-person crew launched Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. ET aboard a 332-foot rocket and will travel 695,081 miles during a 10-day mission that includes manual piloting tests and deep-space photography.
Orion will enter the moon's sphere of influence at 12:41 a.m. ET Monday, begin a six-hour flyby at 2:45 p.m. ET, swing within 4,100–4,600 miles and splash down Friday just after 8 p.m. ET.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story as inspirational and transcendent by emphasizing astronauts' emotional reactions and the 'overview effect.' Editorial choices—loaded words like 'spectacular' and 'breathtaking,' selective quoting of NASA astronauts and a space philosopher, prominent Earth imagery and Apollo comparisons, and omission of critical or scientific context—produce a unifying, celebratory narrative.