The highly anticipated Artemis II mission officially launched on Wednesday evening (April 1), which saw four astronauts begin their journey to the Moon.
This is part of NASA’s new lunar programme and marks the first human crew to venture to the Moon in over 50 years.
The four-person crew includes NASA’s Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
It is expected to take them 10 days to make the round-trip, with the team set to reach the lunar rock by Monday (April 6).
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However, this mission won’t involve landing on the Moon, instead the Orion capsule will fly past, using the rock’s gravitational pull to take them round it before slingshotting back to Earth.
If you’re keen to see what the astronauts’ view is like tens of thousands of miles away from home then you’re in luck because NASA is broadcasting a 24/7 live stream of a camera attached to the exterior of the capsule which means we can all see what the crew are looking at.
The stream is available to view on YouTube, with the caption of the video reading: “As bandwidth allows, this stream will feature live views from the Orion spacecraft, without commentary, as it makes its journey around the Moon. Viewers will see a blue screen if there is a loss of signal, or if the bandwidth is needed for mission activities. Viewers may see what appears to be a black screen when the vehicle is in darkness.
“This stream started as Artemis II began its ascent into space and will conclude shortly before Orion splashes down into the Pacific Ocean.”
In other news, the food menu for the crew aboard Orion has been revealed and there are plenty of treats for them to enjoy.
On the NASA website, the organization explained: “The food flying aboard Artemis II is designed to support crew health and performance during the mission around the Moon.
“With no resupply, refrigeration, or late-load capability, all meals must be carefully selected to remain safe, shelf-stable, and easy to prepare and consume in NASA’s Orion spacecraft.
“Food selections are developed in coordination with space food experts and the crew to balance calorie needs, hydration, and nutrient intake while accommodating individual crew preferences.”
The menu includes chocolate, strawberry and vanilla breakfast drinks as well as pineapple juice, coffee, green tea and lemonade.
For their meals, the astronauts can chow down on barbecued beef brisket, green beans, mac and cheese, and couscous.
If they fancy a snack, there are fruit salads, cashews, and granola with blueberries available.
Of course, there are Canadian favorites including maple syrup on board, and there are also sweet treats including cake, cookies, chocolate and pudding.