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Shortly after NASA’s Orion spacecraft passed the halfway mark between the Earth and the Moon, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen conducted a live question and answer session with media who were on site at the Canadian Space Agency HQ in Longueuil (Quebec, Canada). The conversation occurred on April 4, 2026, while the Artemis II mission was on its way to fly around the Moon.

History in the making

In this new image from our NASA Artemis II crew, you can see Orientale basin on the right edge of the lunar disk. This mission marks the first time the entire basin has been seen with human eyes. [Why?]

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Two views of the jettison of the launch abort system from the Orion spacecraft during the Artemis II launch. The launch abort system jettisoned 3 minutes and 18 seconds after the mission lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In the event of early ascent emergencies, the launch abort system would quickly pull Orion and the crew safely from the Space Launch System rocket. If needed for an abort, the launch abort system can accelerate from 0 to 500 mph in 2 seconds.

Breaking Toilet Update: The toilet has returned to full operational use

Houston: "It's maybe another hour before we can get back to you with a forward plan"

Christina H Koch: "Would you authorize one use of the toilet *chuckles*" 😅

Houston: "Checking"

[prolonged pause]

Houston: "Integrity, Houston, Breaking News [...] At this time, you are good for all types of uses of the toilet"

Koch: "AND THE CREW REJOICES! Thank You!"

The Orion spacecraft has a couple of backseat drivers.

This black and white image of Earth was captured by the optical navigation sensor on the exterior of the Orion spacecraft on the first day of the Artemis II mission, as the four astronauts inside were traveling farther than any humans have ventured in more than 50 years.

Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen peers out the window of the Orion spacecraft on day 3 of the mission. The controls over the commander and pilot seats are illuminated in the foreground, but the cabin is otherwise dark to avoid unnecessary glares on the windows.

Artemis II just hit the "two thirds" mark of the journey to the Moon.

During Flight Day 4, the astronauts aboard Orion went over plans to study the Moon during their upcoming lunar flyby and are currently practicing manually controlling the spacecraft.

Hello Moon

As the Artemis II mission enters its 4th day, Orion and its crew get closer, the moon's features are starting to be visible.

‍TOILET UPDATE: Full Orion toilet functionality is expected to be restored in approximately 2 hours, according to Mission Control Houston.

Since the previous update, the toilet has been limited to Numbers 2s, allowing the stored waste in the tank to be vented into space.

In the meantime, the crew is continuing to use the Contingency Urinals for Number 1s.

Right now, the crew of Artemis II are taking Orion on a test drive.

They are comparing the more precise 6-degree of freedom mode to the more fuel-efficient 3-degree of freedom mode, using our European Service Module's engines to gather data for future Artemis flights esa.int/ESA_Multimedia…

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Update from mission control: this trajectory correction burn was also cancelled since the translunar injection was so precise 🎯 Our European Service Module continues to power Orion's journey around the Moon 🌕

Data, delivered at the speed of light. 💫

Orion’s Artemis II Optical Communications System (O2O) downlinked more than 100 gigabytes of data using laser communications. This image is just one of the many files transmitted. Learn more about O2O: go.nasa.gov/3O4FmRi

Artemis II crew, we hear you loud and clear.

Inside Mission Control, engineers like Ami Killeen in the Orion Mission Evaluation Room are keeping a close eye on Orion’s communication systems, keeping us seamlessly connected with the crew as they continue their journey toward the Moon.

Not bad for a first day in space.

Yesterday, as they became closer to the Moon than the Earth, Commander Reid Wiseman and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen reflected on the feeling of the translunar injection burn. Rise, the zero-gravity indicator, hung out for the conversation as well.

This view just hits different 🌍

Christina H Koch and Reid Wiseman take a moment to look back at Earth as they continue deep into space toward the Moon.

What happens in the MER?

While Mission Control runs the spacecraft moment‑to‑moment, the Orion Mission Evaluation Room is the engineering deep‑dive. When something looks off, MER teams analyze the data, troubleshoot the issue, and deliver real‑time recommendations to Flight Control. It’s the behind‑the‑scenes problem‑solving hub that keeps Orion healthy and mission‑ready as crews travel farther from Earth than any human‑rated spacecraft has gone in decades.