Artemis II Lunar Flyby Comparison

This artist’s concept compares the approximate altitude of the Orion capsule during Artemis II to the orbit of NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), which has been studying the Moon since 2009, and the average altitude of the seven Apollo missions that orbited the Moon between 1968 and 1972. The astronauts are going to look at the Moon from a unique perspective during Artemis II, as they will be passing by at a much higher altitude (around ~8,000km) compared to the Apollo missions (~100km from the surface) and LRO (~50km). As a result, the astronauts will see the entire disk of the Moon, including areas near the north and south poles.  At closest approach, the Moon will appear to the Artemis II crew to be about the size of a basketball held at arm’s length. Credit: NASA Goddard/CI Lab