Artemis II astronauts expected to reach far side of moon on Monday
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Read the original article: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/apr/05/artemis-ii-astronauts-nasa-far-s…
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14 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.
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“Astronauts on the historic Artemis II mission are expected to reach the far side of the moon on Monday, venturing deeper into space than any humans before them.”
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“Nasa has reported satisfaction with progress toward the lunar fly-round since the team’s launch on Wednesday”
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“The crew are the first astronauts bound for the moon in more than half a century, picking up where the Apollo programme left off in 1972.”
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“The crew have reported persistent problems with one of the Orion capsule’s most crucial pieces of equipment: the toilet.”
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“A version of the Artemis II toilet was tested on the International Space Station several years ago but remains prone to dysfunction.”
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“The astronauts woke on Sunday to the tune of pop star Chappell Roan’s inclusivity anthem Pink Pony Club and kicked off their day with a breakfast of scrambled eggs and coffee.”
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“The US space agency published an image taken by the Artemis crew that showed the Orientale Basin – sometimes known as the moon’s 'Grand Canyon'.”
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“The astronauts have had geology training in order to be able to photograph and describe lunar features, including ancient lava flows and impact craters.”
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“The next significant milestone is expected overnight Sunday into Monday, at which point the astronauts will enter the 'lunar sphere of influence', where the moon’s gravity will have stronger pull on the spacecraft than Earth’s.”
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“If all goes smoothly, as the Orion spacecraft whips around the moon, the astronauts – Americans Glover, Koch and Wiseman along with Canadian Jeremy Hansen – will have travelled further from Earth than any human before.”
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“Apollo flights of the 1960s and 70s flew about 70 miles above the lunar surface, but the Artemis crew will be just over 4,000 miles at their closest approach”
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“Apollo 13’s astronauts missed out on a moon landing when one of their oxygen tanks ruptured on the way there in 1970.”
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“The Artemis II mission is part of an ambitious plan to repeatedly return to the moon, with the goal of establishing a permanent lunar base offering a platform for further exploration.”
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“Nasa is aiming for a landing by two crew members near the lunar south pole in 2028.”
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