NASA’s Artemis 2 Astronauts Take Control of the Ship, Perform Key Tests Ahead of Earth Return

Apr 9, 2026 - 07:00
NASA’s Artemis 2 Astronauts Take Control of the Ship, Perform Key Tests Ahead of Earth Return
NASA’s Artemis 2 mission is currently moving towards the Earth after the successful lunar flyby. The astronauts were given some time off on Tuesday to recover after spending hours observing and making notes about the lunar surface. On Wednesday, the crew was back to conducting tests, including demonstrating manual piloting of the Orion spacecraft, named Integrity.