New York: The US space agency NASA is set to achieve a milestone in human space exploration as its Artemis-2 mission performs a historic flypast of the Moon on Monday. The landmark event, which marks humanity’s return to crewed lunar missions after over five decades, will also be livestreamed. The viewers will get to watch it on Netflix.
Artemis-2 is the first crewed mission of NASA’s Artemis programme and is designed as a test flight to pave the way for future human landings on the Moon. The mission lifted off on April 1 aboard the Space Launch System rocket and is expected to last about ten days, taking astronauts around the Moon and safely back to Earth.
The four-member crew includes commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
During the mission, the Orion spacecraft will travel thousands of miles beyond the Moon before using the Moon’s gravity to slingshot back toward Earth. The flypast is expected to take the astronauts to distances farther than any human has travelled since the Apollo era.
The astronauts will also observe the far side of the Moon, conduct scientific observations, and capture images to support future missions. The mission is considered a crucial precursor to NASA’s plans to establish a sustained human presence on the Moon later this decade.
NASA has arranged live coverage of key moments of the mission, with streaming available across multiple platforms. The inclusion of Netflix among the broadcasters reflects growing global interest in space exploration and aims to make the mission accessible to wider audiences.
Artemis-2 is expected to play a critical role in validating spacecraft systems and astronaut operations before more complex missions, including planned lunar landings under Artemis-3. The programme is also seen as part of broader ambitions to support future human missions to Mars.
The spacecraft is scheduled to return to Earth this week with a planned splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.