ARTEMIS II FULL SPECIAL: Crew reaches the far side of the moon

[0:00] The next historic test for the Artemis II astronauts now traveling farther into deep space [0:05] than any humans before them. The daring slingshot around the far side of the moon and a temporary [0:10] communications blackout with mission control. Our special coverage begins right now. [0:16] Three, two, one, booster ignition. [0:24] Integrity crew on April 15th, 1970 during the Apollo 13 mission. Three explorers set the record [0:32] for the farthest distance humans have ever traveled from our home planet. Today, for all humanity, [0:39] you're pushing beyond that frontier. [0:40] Habit of integrity. [0:47] So many people that have worked for so long to make this possible, but also we're just getting started. [1:08] I'm Mike Adjachi in New York. You're watching ABC News Live, Artemis II, Mission to the Moon. [1:13] A welcome to our friend joining us again from National Geographic. We're just moments away [1:18] from the planned flyby around the far side of the moon. The crew set to be the first space travelers [1:23] to see it from this vantage point in person in more than a half a century. Just a few hours ago, [1:30] the four astronauts making history, breaking the record of Apollo 13 with the farthest human journey [1:36] ever into deep space. Americans, mission commander Reed Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover and mission [1:42] specialist Christina Cook, as well as Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, using the moon's own gravity [1:48] to slingshot it around the Earth, around the moon rather, and speed it back toward Earth. A high-stakes [1:54] maneuver that will cut communications with mission control for about 40 minutes as they race at more [1:59] than 1,000 miles per hour, traveling within just more than 4,000 miles of the lunar surface. All of this, [2:06] part of a wider mission to eventually build a permanent human base on the moon to serve as a gateway to Mars. [2:13] Let's bring in ABC News transportation correspondent Gio Benitez. Gio, what a day. [2:18] What a day. [2:19] What a day. [2:19] This is exciting. [2:20] Oh, I love this. Listen, we've been watching this play out in real time. Orion, it's swinging around [2:25] the moon, going to use that lunar gravity to get it back to Earth. What stands out most to you at [2:29] this moment? [2:30] I mean, quite frankly, Ike, that we are seeing images like this one right now on your screen. The fact that [2:35] this is a live signal coming in from the solar array there of that Orion capsule, watching the moon [2:42] getting closer and closer. It looks like they're not moving. Trust me, they're moving at thousands [2:47] of miles per hour to get to the moon. And they're going to be whipping around that moon and eventually [2:52] seeing parts of the moon that have never been seen by human eyes before. And that's what's [2:58] extraordinary because they're going to be shooting photos. And I love the fact that we're broadcasting [3:02] on National Geographic right now because these astronauts are also serving as National Geographic [3:07] explorers. They're going to be taking photos, incredibly detailed photos, as you can imagine. [3:12] I was listening to the feed earlier and I was actually hearing the astronauts talking back to [3:16] Mission Control saying, hey, so Victor has this camera, I have this camera, just so they can know which [3:22] camera, who's taking what pictures. And that's what's so cool. On both sides, they're able to see now [3:28] at this point, both the Earth and the moon, all from their windows. The Earth looks very, very small. [3:34] The moon, obviously very large. You know, you've spent time inside NASA centers. You have talked [3:39] to people who are doing this. What do you think this moment means to them right now? [3:44] Well, I can tell you this means everything to them because they have spent so many years [3:48] working on this particular program, the Orion program. This has been years in the making. [3:54] There have been setbacks and delays and all of that for a lot of people who worked on this one. [3:59] They were just watching, waiting to see when it would finally work and they would do it. [4:03] In fact, when I spoke with the astronauts on Thursday night, they were 20,000 miles away [4:07] from Earth. And I asked them what they were most surprised about. And they were like, [4:11] the fact that we could launch at all. The fact that they launched was unbelievable. [4:16] And so now they're so excited because this particular spacecraft, what's cool about it [4:20] is that the people who were behind it and all of that, they had all of these different mechanisms [4:26] that they put in place in case they would have to activate it. None of those mechanisms have had to be used. [4:32] And that's what's really cool about it. It's operating and responding better than they imagined. [4:38] Yeah. So it definitely did their math homework at school. [4:40] You know, we keep mentioning this planned 40 minute blackout where they're going to lose [4:44] communication down with Earth. For the viewers at home, can you essentially explain to them [4:49] what's happening during that quiet period? [4:51] Well, so it sounds very scary to a lot of people. Like, well, what do you mean you're losing contact [4:55] for 40 minutes? It's planned. The problem is, is that when it goes behind the moon, [4:59] the moon will completely block its signal to Earth. And so that is what's going to take about 40 minutes. [5:05] They are expecting it. Everything should be just totally fine. And they are going to be very calm inside [5:11] because I'll tell you what, nobody is calmer than an astronaut. In the highest of stress, they are calm. [5:17] And so that moment, that quiet will be a moment where they're going to be able to take it in. [5:22] But we also know that they're going to continue to narrate what they're seeing, and that will all be recorded. [5:28] So that will be eventually played back, what they're seeing, what they're hearing even, because there are sounds in space. [5:34] So all of those things will be recorded, and they'll be able to send that back after the fact. [5:39] But yeah, I mean, people might think, oh, 40 minutes, it's a little scary. It's expected. This is all part of the plan. [5:46] These are professionals up there. Do you have any attempts? Thank you. I know we'll be talking to you more. [5:49] That's right. All right. And we are thrilled to be joined by former astronaut and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, [5:55] live at Space Center Houston. Senator Kelly, thank you so much for your time. [6:00] You've spent over 50 days in space, and you've traveled over 20 million miles. [6:06] You know what's going on up there. Can you tell us what these astronauts are going through right now? [6:14] Well, they're incredibly excited to have this opportunity and serve our country in this way. [6:21] I mean, all of them are obviously patriots. They've all flown in space, with the exception of the Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen. [6:28] But they're having a great time. Orion is performing. I mean, it's been fantastic, the performance of that vehicle. [6:37] And if I could just comment on what the person you just had on had said about the 40 minutes around the backside of the moon [6:47] and being out of communication, for an astronaut, that's actually a nice period of time, right? [6:53] The ground can't call you. They can't ask you to do something. They can't bother you. [6:57] You're sort of on your own. [6:59] Every time we would go around the planet in the space shuttle, we had about 15 minutes over the Indian Ocean, [7:04] where there was no communication with the Mission Control Center. [7:08] So they'll be fine during that 40 minutes. [7:10] Nice little break, as you would say. [7:12] Now, this really is uncharted territory for American space explorers. [7:17] The Apollo missions went into low moon, low lunar orbit. [7:21] What's the significance of this moment for the U.S.? [7:28] Well, this is like the next step to getting us back to the surface of the moon [7:33] and then building a permanent presence on the moon and hopefully building an economy on the moon. [7:41] We did that in low Earth orbit. [7:43] We launched the space station in the late 90s. [7:47] It's been operating now. [7:49] It's coming up on 30 years. [7:51] We're planning to retire it in 2030. [7:54] We're going to transition to commercial space stations. [7:56] But what this Artemis 2 mission is doing is it's allowing us to check out the Orion spacecraft that's getting us back to the moon. [8:05] Now we have to build a lander or more, maybe more than one, to get us to the surface, [8:11] and then the other systems to stay there. [8:14] But think of this as the next important step of getting a U.S. presence on the surface of the moon. [8:22] Now, NASA, they're using this 10-day mission to test the Orion spacecraft's life support systems for the first time, [8:30] laying the groundwork for future crewed Artemis missions. [8:33] Why is this work so important? [8:40] Well, Artemis 1 took Orion around the moon on a similar kind of trajectory as this one, [8:48] but without the systems to support life, to support people. [8:52] You have to be able to scrub carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. [8:57] You have to have a, you know, working bathroom. [9:01] You've got to be able to feed the crew. [9:03] The vehicle has to be at the right temperature to make them comfortable, also for them to survive. [9:09] The environment outside the spacecraft is unsurvivable, right? [9:14] It's a vacuum. [9:15] In the sun, it could be 250 degrees. [9:18] In the shade, it could be minus 250, or even worse, when you consider the part of space that they're in between the Earth and the moon. [9:29] So those systems, it took a lot to develop them, check them out on the ground, [9:34] and this is the one time before future missions that have other objectives [9:41] where we get to test these systems in flight with real crew members. [9:44] Now, as a senator, how do you explain to your colleagues and your constituents [9:49] why a mission like this, essentially a test flight, is worth the risk and the investment? [9:59] Well, I mean, it's hard to do, right? [10:01] And there is, you know, personal risk to the crew in going on this kind of mission, right? [10:09] But they get that. [10:10] There is also tremendous upside for us as a country. [10:15] Yeah, these missions are expensive, but NASA's budget is less than 1% of the federal budget. [10:23] It is a good investment in the future of our country. [10:26] The innovation and the invention that we get out of doing hard things in space, [10:33] there's a huge return on that investment. [10:36] Our economy grows, we create thousands or tens of thousands of jobs here on Earth, [10:43] jobs that pay good wages that you can actually support a family on. [10:47] So we're good as a country. [10:49] We're really good at it, doing these hard things, using science and engineering [10:54] to do things like send people to the moon. [10:58] But from that, we get a lot out of that as a nation. [11:02] It's not just like this feels good because we accomplished this. [11:07] It's also the return that we get in driving our economy forward. [11:13] Now, for young people watching tonight who might fly on those later Artemis missions, [11:17] what do you want them to hear from you as an astronaut-turned-senator [11:21] about where this journey is headed and why their generation matters so much to it? [11:31] Well, I mean, their generation is the future, right? [11:33] I've got kids, my daughters, one's 31, the other's 28. [11:39] I've got a granddaughter who's about to turn five. [11:42] I have another grandkid on the way. [11:45] They're the future of this country, and we need them. [11:49] You know, we need them to try to do some hard things, you know, like these missions. [11:54] I often talk to kids about this, kids that might not be that interested in science and math, [12:00] but they see astronauts and they're like, well, that's a cool thing that maybe I could do [12:05] or I could work at NASA, I could become an engineer. [12:08] And I remind these kids that they also can do things that are hard. [12:14] They put their minds to it. [12:15] They focus on it. [12:16] They try to do well in school. [12:18] There's tremendous opportunity in this country. [12:21] I think people often forget that. [12:23] I mean, we're the greatest country in the world if you're looking to be able to do some challenging things. [12:31] And a mission like this with these four crew members, who, by the way, look a lot like America, right? [12:37] There's a person of color in Victor Glover, a woman in Christina Koch. [12:43] This looks more like our country than the Apollo missions, you know, did in the 1960s. [12:50] So this should be exciting, you know, for young people and give them an example about what they can accomplish. [12:56] Now, Senator, I cannot let you go without asking you this question. [13:00] We know that NASA, they've been waking up the Artemis 2 crew with music. [13:04] What song do you think they should play next? [13:11] Well, I'm a big U2 fan. [13:14] So Beautiful Day is the wake-up music that my wife, Gabby, sent up to the space shuttle for me [13:20] on at least one occasion, maybe more than that. [13:23] And I think U2 has a lot of great options. [13:27] A beautiful day indeed, Senator Mark Kelly. [13:30] Thank you so much. [13:35] Thank you. [13:36] All right. [13:37] Now for more, let's bring in ABC News contributor and astrophysicist, Hakeem Olusayi. [13:42] Hakeem, thank you again for speaking with me. [13:45] Now, as Orion skims thousands of miles above the lunar surface, [13:49] what does this vantage point let scientists learn about the moon that we couldn't see from Earth? [13:54] Thank you so much for having me, first of all. [13:59] I tell you, man, I'm sitting down here. [14:01] This week I'm visiting the University of Southern Mississippi down in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. [14:05] And I wish I was up there looking because I tell you there are some really interesting geology on the surface of the moon. [14:13] One thing that I know they're looking forward to are these so-called lunar swirls. [14:18] There are these areas that when they were first discovered on the moon, they were thought to be highlands, right? [14:24] You see these dark areas and these light areas? [14:26] The dark areas are the lowlands and the lighter areas are the highlands. [14:30] But when they got a glimpse of it, an oblique angle, they realized it wasn't a highland at all. [14:36] Turns out it was an area of an intense magnetic field. [14:39] And, you know, the earliest studies thought that this was where there were lava tubes that created its own magnetic field. [14:45] And that magnetic field blocked the solar radiation from touching the moon's surface. [14:51] And that radiation typically darkens the material. [14:54] So because it did not get darkened by this solar weathering, it remained light. [14:59] So the most famous one is known as Reiner Gamma. [15:03] And they're going to be looking at it. [15:05] I suggest you look it up. [15:06] These so-called lunar swirls, they are amazing geological features. [15:11] And that's one of the biggest ones on their list. [15:14] What a fascinating aspect of this. [15:16] You know, we also hear that the far side of the moon is especially interesting scientifically. [15:21] What makes that region such a prime target? [15:24] Well, you know, the moon has mysteries that are as yet unsolved. [15:28] And one of the most recent is the fact that the near side of the moon is very different from the far side of the moon in several ways. [15:36] One way is that the thickness of the crust is different. [15:39] So we look at our models and understanding of how the moon formed. [15:43] The Apollo astronaut showed us that, hey, it looks like the moon is made up of Earth. [15:48] Right. That's how we ended up with this notion that a large object about the size of Mars struck the Earth early in its history. [15:57] And that resulted in the moon's formation. [16:00] But now we find that there are some other questions that doesn't solve all of the problems, much in the same way as we came up with the Big Bang and it solved some problems. [16:10] It fit the data. [16:11] But then there were others. [16:12] So we had to come up with this idea of inflation. [16:14] I know I might have went a little too far with that, but the point remains that as we gain more information, that creates more mysteries. [16:25] And solving those mysteries gives us fundamental information about our home and how we're going to take advantage of our new home on the moon. [16:34] Listen, Hakeem, you can get in the weeds as much as you want on this show, OK? [16:38] We love it. [16:39] Thank you. [16:40] Hakeem Olusei, thank you so much. [16:42] Much more special coverage ahead of the Artemis II astronauts making their historic flyby of the moon. [16:48] Stay with us. [17:22] Welcome back to ABC News Live special coverage of the historic Artemis II flyby of the moon. [17:27] And a thank you to our friends watching on National Geographic. [17:31] The astronauts now locked into the moon's gravitational pull, flying by on their journey around the far side. [17:37] A communications blackout expected to start shortly, stretching for about 40 minutes until the crew emerges back inside of Earth. [17:45] For more, let's bring in reporter Nick Notario from our Houston station, KTRK, live at Johnson Space Center, where mission control is guiding the astronauts. [17:54] Nick, thanks for joining me. [17:56] You've been talking with people all over town. [17:59] How is Houston feeling this moment as Orion flies behind the moon? [18:02] Well, it's interesting, you know, when we saw those images of the rocket going off, it was in Florida, right? [18:12] It wasn't here in Texas, even though SpaceX has Boca Chica, where they launch some of its stuff. [18:17] But no, NASA launches from Florida. [18:19] But there's excitement here in Houston, and we're known as a space city, because, well, the Johnson Space Center is here. [18:25] You've got mission control out here that's actually tasked with making sure that this mission stays on course and also that these astronauts stay, stay. [18:34] So, obviously, a lot of excitement here in Houston. [18:36] Even though we couldn't actually see that rocket launch, we have a huge connection with those astronauts because they live right here in Houston. [18:43] They train here in Houston. [18:45] And the day of the launch, you had a lot of local leaders posting on social media how excited they were, how proud they were to see those astronauts take off from Florida. [18:56] And they're even more excited because they'll come back here to Houston when this is all done and over. [19:01] Of course, they'll check in with medical professionals, but then they'll also meet with all of us and talk to us about how this journey was. [19:06] So, certainly, a lot of excitement and buzz right now in the space city right here in H-Town, Ike. [19:11] Now, what's the mood right now at the Johnson Space Center? [19:14] Are there nerves, especially with mission control, about to lose contact going around the dark side of the moon? [19:22] Certainly, I think they'd be lying if they say there wasn't some nerves. [19:26] In fact, we were at the science mission operations room today, also known as SMORE, and there are actually scientists there that are receiving images. [19:35] All the pictures that they're taking, they're coming right to those scientists. [19:38] And I asked them, okay, when they go around the dark side and you lose contact, are you anxious at all? [19:44] You know, you're not seeing what they're seeing? [19:46] And they told me, no, because they wouldn't be able to see anything anyways. [19:50] It's going to be that dark. [19:51] And then we did hear from the lead flight director about them going on the dark side. [19:57] Would he be anxious, nervous at all? [19:59] And he said that physics takes over at this point. [20:02] He has full confidence that even though for about 40 minutes they're not going to be able to talk to those astronauts, [20:08] he fully believes that they will be slingshotting around the moon and making their way back to Earth. [20:15] Ike? [20:15] Now, have you heard anything unexpected that NASA scientists at JSC have discovered during today's flyby? [20:21] Yeah, it's something that we're all waiting for. [20:26] We're like on pins and needles here at the Johnson Space Center waiting for those images to come out. [20:30] Now, I told you that that room where the scientists are, they're looking at this right now. [20:35] All these images, they haven't really released them to us yet. [20:38] They're going through them and they're coordinating with teams in those rooms and helping the astronauts. [20:42] Maybe they should look up, look down, look left, right to take the best photos. [20:46] We haven't heard yet if they found something new, but one thing that's interesting, [20:51] if you listen to the astronauts talking to the team here at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, [20:57] you'll hear them talk about colors. [20:58] And the reason why something like that is so important is because maybe they thought there were only certain minerals in some areas of the moon, [21:06] but if they can able to tell where the colors are darker or lighter in some areas, [21:11] it may give scientists here an indication of exactly what type of minerals there are on the moon [21:16] and exactly how many there are and how spread out. [21:18] So just something as simple as listening to the colors that those astronauts are calling out [21:22] could give us some indication as to maybe some unexpected findings that they're locating. [21:28] Ike? [21:28] All right. [21:29] Reporter Nick Natara from our Houston station, KTRK. [21:33] Thanks a lot, Nick. [21:34] All right, let's bring in former NASA astronaut Susan Kilrain. [21:37] Susan, thank you so much for joining us. [21:39] As Orion swings around the far side, what do you imagine is going through the crew's minds in this exact stretch of the flight? [21:50] Ike, I think this is a really exciting part of the flight. [21:54] They are literally all alone, no one to talk to, but then no one's talking to them either. [21:59] So they're going to continue as much science as they can. [22:03] They're going to continue photographing and talking about what they're seeing [22:08] and maybe what they even saw before that they didn't have time to note. [22:14] No one, I think, I mean, nobody up there is worried about being out of communications. [22:20] This vehicle is going to go around the moon and start accelerating back towards Earth. [22:28] I've been impressed with how slow it's actually going. [22:32] They're only at about 950 miles an hour. [22:36] I mean, that's incredible to me because I was in the space shuttle going at 17,000 miles an hour, [22:42] and they're only going 950 miles an hour. [22:45] But when they come back into communications, they'll already be starting their acceleration [22:51] back down towards Earth, and that will be exciting to them. [22:56] And I know they'll be happy when they get the comm check on the other side [23:00] and know that the ground and Orion are back talking to each other. [23:06] Oh, what a moment. [23:07] What a moment. [23:08] Thank you so much, Susan Kilrain. [23:10] I appreciate you. [23:10] We'll talk to you again soon. [23:12] Joining me for more is Bethany Elman, National Geographic Explorer [23:16] and Director of the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado. [23:22] Bethany, thank you for joining me. [23:23] I want to ask you this. [23:24] Why is it important to have humans return to the moon and not just machines? [23:31] Yeah, it's really exciting to be here on this special day. [23:34] And I think what we were hearing from the astronauts just a few minutes ago [23:39] is an example of why human exploration is so important. [23:42] We were seeing the interaction with what we're seeing and how we're interpreting it. [23:48] exploring as we go the statements about, you know, the colors of the different craters. [23:58] Just imagine Artemis here is all about testing the systems [24:02] and making sure humans can thrive in space for the next stages of Artemis, [24:08] which actually sends crew to the surface to explore, to interact with the terrain, [24:15] decide what to do, and then take the next steps. [24:18] You know, there's another aspect that I want to talk about, the radiation. [24:21] Why is it critical to learn about radiation in deep space? [24:26] Yeah, some of the experiments that are happening this time around are with cells and tissues [24:30] to understand how radiation is affecting the astronauts. [24:33] So what basically happens is when you're outside of Earth's protection, [24:37] the shield of the atmosphere, the shield of our magnetic field, [24:41] the human body is exposed to galactic cosmic rays at a high level. [24:45] And so one of the things we want to make sure that we're doing is keeping our crew safe as they explore. [24:51] Now, the benefit of going to the moon right now, 50 years onward from Apollo, [24:56] is that we have all kinds of novel advancements and instruments and medical technology [25:01] to really understand and characterize that radiation environment that the crew is experiencing [25:05] in order that we create the systems to make them safe in space as they explore. [25:11] All right, Bethany Elman, thank you so much for that analysis. [25:14] More special coverage ahead of the Artemis II astronauts making their historic journey [25:19] traveling around the far side of the moon. [25:21] Stay with us. [25:54] Welcome back to ABC News Live's special coverage of the historic Artemis II flyby of the moon. [26:00] Thank you to our friends watching on National Geographic. [26:02] We're about to enter that expected communications blackout between the crew and mission control in Houston [26:08] as the astronauts make their historic trip around the moon's far side. [26:12] The first human visit there since Apollo 17, more than 50 years ago. [26:17] NASA says once communication is lost, it'll be about 40 minutes until contact is restored [26:23] as the Orion spacecraft comes back into view of Earth. [26:27] Let's bring in Jim Bell. [26:29] He's a professor of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State [26:32] and former president of the Planetary Society. [26:36] Jim, thank you so much for joining us. [26:38] Now, I got to say this, Jim. [26:39] I think I'm as excited as you are, man. [26:40] I'm very excited right now. [26:42] And I want to say this. [26:44] Nobody, nobody under 55 years old has ever witnessed what we're about to see here. [26:49] What will this moment mean for history? [26:53] Well, think about it, right? [26:54] People are traveling farther than any humans. [26:58] There's been 100 billion of us, some people estimate, have lived on this planet. [27:02] And these four people have gone farther than any of us ever. [27:07] And they are setting the path. [27:09] They are the pathfinders for future missions that send people down to the surface [27:12] to explore the moon, to build habitats, to build a settlement, [27:18] maybe eventually to go on to Mars. [27:21] And the other thing that just blows me away is for this 40 minutes, [27:24] when they go around the backside of the moon, [27:26] they're out of communication with their entire planet, with their entire species. [27:33] They are the four most alone people in the history of people, [27:39] but also probably the four most excited people in the history of people [27:43] to be able to do this, to represent all of us, [27:46] to do the great science and exploration that this brave crew is doing. [27:50] I love that sentence, the four most alone people in the history of people. [27:55] That's putting it lightly, let's say. [27:57] Now, you've always been a big advocate for public involvement in space. [28:02] What message do you hope people at home take from what they're seeing tonight? [28:05] Well, I think, you know, the programs that NASA does, [28:10] what NASA does and other space agencies around the world, [28:12] they help us realize how much space has become an everyday part of our lives, [28:18] our technological lives. [28:20] You know, we have the GPS in our phone. [28:22] We have the weather satellites that give us the daily forecasts [28:27] and the long-term study of the Earth's climate. [28:30] We understand how our solar system works [28:33] and what these other places like the moon, Mars, other planets are like [28:36] because of our robotic probes and the space program. [28:40] We've rewritten the textbooks. [28:42] We're helping kids get excited about science and technology [28:45] and engineering and math, [28:46] and these are all important skills for the future. [28:49] So the space program, I think, helps bring home to us [28:52] that space is for everyone. [28:55] Space is part of everyone's life. [28:57] I mean, Jim, you said it yourself. [28:58] We have GPS on our phone, the weather satellites [29:01] that we're all over our solar system now. [29:03] I mean, the technology, it's changed so much [29:05] since humans last went this far from Earth. [29:08] How does that change the kind of planetary science we can do? [29:12] Well, I think, you know, one of the things we're seeing, [29:14] remember the last time people went to the moon 50 years ago [29:17] was film cameras, right, and kind of crummy TV camera, barely. [29:22] You know, I was just a little kid. [29:24] I remember watching the astronauts drive the cars on the moon [29:27] and fly by the moon and all that, but it was not very good. [29:31] Now it's, you know, HD, digital, and everyone in the world [29:35] who can get access to the internet can come along, right? [29:38] And so space has become a global adventure, [29:42] a global enterprise affecting the global economy, [29:46] and science and technology and education. [29:48] We're bringing all that along. [29:50] And I got to say right now, [29:51] we are watching live images of this mission, [29:54] and if you watch your screen right now, [29:56] you can see just a phenomenal image. [29:59] It's a crescent moon, obviously, [30:01] approaching the far side of the moon, [30:02] and if you look at the right side of your screen, [30:05] that blue marble in the distance, that's us. [30:08] That's Earth. [30:08] To see this image right here, it's just magnificent. [30:12] And the crew on board, [30:14] they have their own minds blown right now, I'm sure, [30:17] and I want to talk about that crew. [30:18] Can you talk about the makeup of this crew itself [30:21] and why it's so important? [30:22] Well, I mean, first of all, [30:26] it takes incredible skill and bravery [30:30] to sit up on top of a rocket and get launched into space. [30:35] They're part of a big team. [30:37] They each bring special skills. [30:40] Each of them, they're doing their jobs, [30:42] whether it be related to the spacecraft [30:43] and the piloting related to the science experiments, [30:46] participating in medical experiments, [30:49] they're all doing that. [30:50] They're the first people to travel [30:51] this distance away from the Earth [30:53] since the advent of modern medical technology, [30:56] which is only decades old, not 50 years old. [30:59] And so they've trained together for years. [31:04] They're stuck in a small space for 10 days, [31:07] but they all seem to get along with each other. [31:09] They seem like they're regular people [31:11] in so many ways, [31:13] which makes them so relatable [31:14] to all the rest of us, [31:16] the jealous rest of us [31:17] that wish we could be out there [31:18] traveling to the moon with them. [31:20] So I just admire them tremendously. [31:22] Yeah, you know, [31:22] I came from a family with four siblings, [31:24] and I can say living in our big house [31:26] wasn't big enough. [31:28] So to see them in such a small spacecraft, [31:30] that's a testament to them, [31:32] their patience in and of itself. [31:33] Now, I just want to say the obvious here. [31:37] No other nation has done this before. [31:40] What does that say about American ingenuity? [31:43] Well, look, [31:43] NASA has been, for its entire existence, [31:46] the global leader in space exploration, [31:49] space technology. [31:51] We share the data with the rest of the world. [31:54] We bring the rest of the world along now, [31:56] live on the internet, [31:58] launches and landings, [31:59] on rovers on other planets, [32:01] and astronauts on other worlds soon. [32:05] You know, it's part of the frontier now [32:10] is space and deep space [32:11] and the moon and Mars and asteroids. [32:14] America has always been a frontier nation. [32:17] We've always been at the cutting edge [32:19] of technology and exploration, [32:21] and NASA represents, in many ways, [32:24] the best of our country. [32:25] So it's something I think [32:27] we should all be very proud of. [32:28] You and me and everybody else who pays taxes [32:30] put a little bit in, [32:33] a tiny amount in, [32:34] to make this mission happen. [32:36] Less than a half a percent [32:37] of your tax dollars supports all of NASA. [32:41] But we're doing it collectively. [32:42] We've decided, as a society, [32:44] Americans have decided, [32:46] this is important. [32:46] It's important for our kids. [32:48] It's important for our teachers. [32:49] It's important for our scientists [32:50] and doctors and engineers. [32:52] And it's important for the future. [32:53] All right, Dr. Jim Bell, [32:55] thank you for your perspective. [32:56] I know we'll come back to talk to you [32:57] in just a little bit. [32:58] And I do want to say, [32:59] we're about five minutes right now [33:01] from that communications blackout. [33:03] Very crucial time in this mission. [33:05] And I want to bring back [33:06] astrophysicist and science educator [33:08] Hakeem Olusayi to talk about this. [33:11] Hakeem, from a scientific perspective, [33:13] why is what these astronauts [33:15] are doing right now [33:16] so important to the human race? [33:20] Thank you, Ike. [33:21] You know, there is this push and pull [33:24] between humans in space [33:26] and the robots that we send in space. [33:29] And we can do a lot with robots, [33:31] especially the most dangerous stuff [33:33] and things that are unproven, [33:35] like, say, spending an extended amount of time [33:37] on Mars or other bodies. [33:39] But there are jobs that only humans can do. [33:43] And I just have to say that, you know, [33:44] I just see this as a full circle moment. [33:47] Right now, one of NASA's most spectacular projects [33:50] is the James Webb Space Telescope. [33:54] And James Webb, [33:55] as the second administrator of NASA, [33:57] was the person who really put NASA on the track [34:00] for developing this broad infrastructure [34:02] across the country, [34:04] making the mission more than just humans [34:06] and beating the Russians to the moon, right? [34:09] And so now we're reaping those rewards. [34:11] But it's time to take the next step. [34:14] And that step is not just important for science. [34:16] It's also important for the future [34:17] of the global economy [34:19] and the future of humanity. [34:21] Now, this mission is going to help us [34:23] put together future crewed missions [34:25] to the moon and even to Mars. [34:27] What are the biggest obstacles [34:29] you think we're facing [34:30] with these ambitious goals? [34:32] As we have people spend more and more time [34:35] outside of Earth's protective atmosphere [34:38] and protective magnetosphere, [34:40] we're going to have to contend [34:42] with some serious health [34:44] and technological issues. [34:46] And the biggest one is radiation. [34:48] When you're on the moon, [34:50] there is no strong magnetic field protecting you. [34:52] When you're on Mars, [34:53] there is no strong magnetic field protecting you. [34:56] So these first humans [34:58] who are going to take those extended periods, [35:00] they're going to work out those kinks. [35:02] And I'm sure NASA is really careful [35:05] about keeping people safe. [35:06] So it's going to be done in steps, [35:08] just like we're doing now, [35:09] and we're going to get there. [35:10] Right now, I want to listen to mission control [35:14] in JSC in Houston [35:15] as they enter that crucial communications blackout. [35:19] Let's take a listen. [35:29] All right, let's bring back in Hakeem Olusayi. [35:31] They were just saying some things. [35:33] Now we're going to come back to them [35:34] once we hear some more from mission control there. [35:37] Hakeem, thanks for being so flexible right now. [35:40] I want to ask you something else too. [35:41] This is a mission that builds [35:43] on more than 50 years of lunar exploration. [35:46] What had to happen for us to get to this moment? [35:49] Well, there are so many layers, right? [35:55] Our education ecosystem, [35:57] our engineering ecosystem, [35:59] our economic ecosystem, [36:01] all of it had to stay strong and grow. [36:03] We had to push the technology forward. [36:05] You know, I used to do a radio show [36:07] with NASA astronaut, [36:09] former astronaut Winston Scott, [36:11] called Space Spinoffs [36:12] about all the technologies [36:14] that spun off into the regular commercial [36:17] and medical world [36:18] from NASA's space exploration. [36:21] So everything that's being done [36:23] is setting the foundation [36:25] for what's going to happen next. [36:28] Yeah, we're going to actually try [36:29] to listen in to mission control [36:30] over in Houston from JSC [36:31] as they enter the communications blackout. [36:33] A crescent moon and a crescent earth, [36:37] how great thou art. [36:49] Okay, we're going to keep listening here. [36:51] Obviously, we're having [36:52] some communications issues, [36:53] but we do know that [36:54] that communications blackout [36:56] is approaching any minute now. [36:58] And when we do hear from mission control, [36:59] we're going to get back to you. [37:00] But for now, let's go back to Hakeem. [37:02] Hakeem, thanks for being flexible again. [37:04] Does what Orion is doing tonight [37:06] help refine theories [37:07] about how the moon formed [37:09] or about its internal structure? [37:12] Yeah, I just got to make the joke, man, [37:14] that maybe we're in the blackout right now. [37:16] You know, with NASA TV. [37:20] It does, right? [37:21] I mentioned earlier [37:21] that there are these differences [37:23] that are obvious [37:23] just looking at the surface of the moon, right? [37:25] Like on the near side, [37:26] you see all of these large black areas [37:28] that are ancient, giant volcanic eruptions. [37:32] You don't see those on the far side [37:34] in nearly the same way. [37:36] The far side is actually thicker. [37:38] And there's different ideas [37:39] about how the moon got to be this way. [37:41] There's been a recent mission that went up [37:43] and it made measurements [37:45] and determined that, yeah, [37:46] there's something going on [37:47] in the lunar interior [37:49] that's giving us these differences. [37:51] The ideas range from [37:53] it's due to another giant impact on the moon [37:56] or maybe the distribution [37:58] of radioactive elements [37:59] was different from one side [38:01] of the moon to the other. [38:02] And also at the time [38:04] when the moon formed, [38:05] it was 15 times closer to earth [38:07] than it is today. [38:09] And the earth's surface was hot. [38:11] So maybe one side of the moon [38:13] facing the earth being tidally locked [38:15] and receiving that heat from the earth [38:17] made changes in the moon's interior [38:20] that give us the moon we see today. [38:22] So having clear views [38:25] of the geological features [38:26] of that far side, [38:28] taking photographs, [38:29] and these astronauts [38:30] have been guided by geologists [38:32] on exactly what photographs, [38:34] what to look for, [38:35] what data to take [38:36] might give them insights [38:37] that lead to these answers. [38:40] All right. [38:40] Confirmation. [38:41] We have entered [38:42] the communications blackout. [38:43] Let's listen in right now [38:44] to mission control. [38:45] Our spacecraft is now [38:46] out of direct line of sight [38:48] with earth and behind the moon. [38:50] And this is a poignant moment [38:51] as it's the first time [38:52] in over 50 years [38:54] that we have humans [38:55] completely unreachable [38:57] by anyone else on earth. [38:58] No matter how distant [38:59] or secluded, [39:01] we could reach anyone [39:02] living on earth. [39:03] But while the crew [39:03] flies behind the moon, [39:05] it's simply impossible [39:06] to make contact with them. [39:08] This is a live view [39:10] inside the science evaluation room [39:12] here at Johnson Space Center [39:13] and just down the hall [39:15] from mission control. [39:16] This team has been monitoring [39:18] the science or the flyby all day [39:20] as the team has continuing, [39:22] continued capturing targets [39:24] on the lunar surface. [39:25] We even got to see this team [39:32] in action as they were helping [39:34] the astronauts identify [39:36] some of the features [39:37] they were seeing on the moon [39:38] but not expecting. [39:40] There will be a couple of milestones [39:46] during this loss of signal. [39:48] The first will be [39:49] when the astronauts [39:50] make their closest approach [39:52] of the moon at MET [39:54] five days, 25 minutes [39:56] and 34 seconds [39:57] when we expect [39:58] they'll be 4,067 statute miles [40:01] above the lunar surface. [40:03] Their maximum earth altitude [40:04] will be reached [40:05] just two minutes later [40:06] at five days, 27 minutes [40:09] and 39 seconds [40:10] when their altitude [40:11] should be approximately [40:12] 252,756 statute miles. [40:17] Once those milestones are reached [40:19] and we have confirmation, [40:20] we will report [40:21] the official numbers. [40:22] All right, that was Mission Control [40:29] there in Houston from JSC [40:31] and you just heard them [40:32] as we entered [40:33] that communication blackout. [40:35] The Artemis 2 crew [40:36] flying around the dark side [40:38] of the moon [40:38] eventually using the moon's gravity [40:40] to slingshot them back to Earth. [40:42] Now, we did hear Mission Control [40:44] say that this is the first time [40:46] in 50 years, over 50 years [40:49] that they cannot get in contact [40:51] with a human, [40:52] obviously since the last mission. [40:54] And just to understand [40:55] the teamwork that's going on [40:57] between ground control [40:58] and the astronauts [40:59] on the Artemis 2, [41:00] we heard ground controls there [41:02] say that the team there [41:04] in ground control, [41:05] they actually help the astronauts [41:07] in real time decipher things [41:10] that they were seeing. [41:11] So that just shows [41:12] the communication [41:13] and the teamwork [41:14] that's happening [41:15] moment by moment [41:16] between ground control [41:17] and those four astronauts [41:19] up there in the Orion. [41:20] Let's bring back in [41:21] Hakeem Olusayi [41:22] to really understand [41:24] and break down [41:25] this historic moment. [41:27] Now, Hakeem, [41:27] people may look up tonight [41:28] and see just a bright disc. [41:31] What's the invisible science story [41:33] playing out there right now? [41:35] You know, for me, [41:37] I just think about how, [41:39] I think about those people [41:40] who were children [41:41] during the Apollo era [41:42] who, you know, [41:43] they're older than me [41:44] and as I've gone about [41:46] my scientific career, [41:47] those people inspired me, right? [41:49] They told me how [41:50] those missions impacted them. [41:53] And, you know, [41:54] I was talking to my wife, [41:55] Jessica, earlier [41:55] and we have young children [41:57] and she was asking me, [41:59] you know, [41:59] if would I want [42:01] any of our children [42:01] to be astronauts? [42:02] And I was like, [42:03] absolutely. [42:04] You know, [42:04] that was a dream of mine [42:06] at one point. [42:07] But I took the scientist route, [42:09] right? [42:09] And I think that this mission, [42:11] the Artemis mission, [42:12] is going to have [42:13] the exact same impact [42:14] on a new generation of people. [42:16] And not only is it going [42:18] to create new economy, [42:19] new space infrastructure, [42:20] it's going to create [42:22] new inspiration. [42:23] And I tell you, man, [42:24] the new nation that we are, [42:27] we are tapping [42:28] into every community [42:29] and everyone is going [42:30] to be able to see themselves [42:31] in the boots [42:32] of those astronauts. [42:34] And that's a beautiful thing. [42:35] And I think that's going [42:36] to bring about [42:36] a beautiful future [42:37] for humanity. [42:39] All right, Hakeem, [42:39] hang tight. [42:40] We'll come back to you. [42:41] Right now, [42:41] I do want to bring in [42:42] reporter Nick Notario [42:43] from our Houston station, [42:45] KTRK. [42:46] He's live at Johnson Space Center [42:48] where mission control [42:49] is guiding those astronauts. [42:51] Nick, I want to ask you, [42:52] how has NASA's presence [42:53] shaped the local economy [42:55] over time? [42:56] And does it feel like [42:57] Artemis is opening up [42:58] a new chapter there? [43:00] Well, it's made a huge impact [43:04] on the local economy. [43:06] Just to give you an idea, [43:08] the Moon to Mars campaign, [43:10] NASA says, [43:11] has impacted 14,000 jobs [43:14] across Texas. [43:15] And NASA says [43:16] it's generated $3 billion [43:18] spent here [43:19] in the state of Texas alone. [43:22] And we actually, [43:23] in the Houston area, [43:24] opened a spaceport [43:26] a few years ago. [43:27] I was there [43:28] for the grand opening [43:28] of that. [43:29] And since then, [43:29] a number of private [43:31] aerospace companies [43:32] have opened up shop there. [43:34] Intuitive Machines [43:35] is one of them [43:35] who recently put [43:36] a lunar lander [43:37] on the surface. [43:39] So it's made [43:41] a major role here [43:42] in the Houston area. [43:44] And as this further [43:45] exploration occurs now, [43:46] Artemis 3, Artemis 4, [43:48] and hopefully beyond, [43:49] it's obviously going [43:50] to have a big impact [43:51] here locally [43:51] on the economy. [43:53] Now, we are in [43:54] the communications blackout now. [43:56] That's where the mission [43:56] is going around [43:57] the far side of the Moon. [43:58] And we're going to [43:59] essentially not hear from them [44:00] for about 40 minutes. [44:02] Now, you are there [44:03] at mission control. [44:04] What is the feeling [44:06] right now amongst [44:07] those team members [44:08] over there? [44:11] Well, I can tell you [44:12] that they obviously [44:13] have planned for this. [44:15] so they know [44:16] they're not going [44:16] to have communication [44:17] with them [44:17] for about 40 minutes [44:19] or so. [44:20] But they told me [44:21] that they're not nervous. [44:22] They know that physics [44:24] will take over [44:24] and the Orion spacecraft [44:26] will continue [44:27] to make its way [44:28] around the dark side [44:29] of the Moon, [44:29] eventually making contact [44:31] with them again. [44:33] And, you know, [44:33] I asked some people today, [44:35] are you nervous? [44:36] Are you worried [44:36] about what's going to happen, [44:38] especially when you [44:39] lose contact? [44:39] And they all told me that, [44:41] no, we're not nervous [44:41] something's going to be wrong. [44:42] We're more nervous [44:43] about what we're going to find [44:44] or maybe don't find [44:45] in this case. [44:46] So, obviously, [44:47] right now, [44:48] we're all waiting [44:48] for them to come back [44:49] into communication. [44:50] But the feeling, [44:51] the sense here at JSC [44:53] is this mission [44:54] has gone so well. [44:55] So many things [44:56] have worked out [44:57] in their favor [44:58] that they planned for [44:59] for years [45:00] to make this happen. [45:00] So NASA, honestly, [45:02] is feeling very confident [45:03] about what's happening, [45:05] cautiously optimistic [45:06] as they go through [45:08] this blackout period. [45:10] Okay, I want to talk [45:10] about what happens next, Nick. [45:12] We have essentially [45:13] been watching this mission [45:14] for days of them [45:15] trying to get to the Moon. [45:17] Now they're passing [45:18] behind the Moon, [45:19] and eventually, [45:20] they're going to make [45:21] that crucial mission [45:22] of coming back home. [45:24] So what does the next chapter [45:25] in this mission look like? [45:29] Well, you know, [45:30] here at JSC, [45:31] Mission Control, [45:32] they still have to [45:33] guide them back [45:34] to the Earth. [45:35] And that's going to take [45:36] about five more days. [45:37] Friday, [45:38] they're expecting [45:38] to return down here. [45:40] And then when they come back, [45:42] it's called a splashdown. [45:43] And, you know, [45:44] they have splashdown parties [45:46] because why not? [45:47] And they used to be [45:48] epic parties. [45:49] When I talked [45:49] to Apollo controllers, [45:51] they used to go out. [45:52] There was a bar here [45:53] not far from JSC. [45:54] It was a legit party. [45:57] And they would all go [45:58] and have a great time. [45:59] Because during the mission [46:00] right now, [46:01] it's very serious stuff. [46:03] You're tasked [46:03] with making sure [46:04] that those four lives [46:06] return back to Earth. [46:07] But when they come back, [46:09] they celebrate. [46:10] And they have a good time. [46:11] And, you know, [46:11] when we're driving [46:12] into the JSC grounds [46:13] here in Houston, [46:14] there's this, [46:15] on the screen, [46:16] it says, like, [46:17] splashdown party [46:18] Friday night [46:19] here at JSC. [46:20] So they're anticipating it. [46:22] They're looking forward to it. [46:23] It's not just here at JSC. [46:24] I saw the museum next door, [46:27] the Space Center Houston. [46:28] They're planning a big [46:29] splashdown party. [46:30] There are other museums [46:31] here in Houston [46:31] doing that as well. [46:33] So it's going to be [46:34] a collective excitement [46:35] here in the Space City [46:36] as they come back to Earth. [46:38] But, you know, [46:38] over the next few days, [46:40] they're going to be [46:40] guiding them back to Houston. [46:42] And when they come back, [46:43] Ike, you can sure bet [46:43] there's going to be [46:44] a big party here [46:44] celebrating their return to Earth. [46:46] Oh, I'm sure there will. [46:48] Reporter Nick Notario [46:49] from our Houston station, [46:50] KTRK. [46:51] Thanks a lot. [46:52] Let's bring in [46:53] former NASA astronaut [46:54] Susan Kilray. [46:55] And Susan, [46:55] you have a unique perspective [46:57] on what's going on [46:58] up there right now. [46:59] Tell us what's going on [47:00] through the minds [47:01] and hearts [47:02] of these astronauts. [47:03] Away from the moon [47:04] for an hour and then... [47:05] You know, [47:06] I don't know [47:06] if you noticed, [47:07] but when, [47:09] right as they were [47:09] going into loss of sight, [47:11] the Earth set [47:13] behind the moon, [47:16] that crescent part, [47:17] and I was just in awe [47:19] watching the Earth set. [47:21] There are so few people [47:23] that have actually [47:24] seen an Earth set. [47:25] I mean, [47:25] we've already gotten... [47:26] So that was quite beautiful [47:28] and I am hoping [47:29] that they caught [47:30] amazing photographs [47:32] of that moment. [47:34] And now they're still busy. [47:36] They're still doing [47:37] their observations. [47:38] Even though they're not [47:39] in contact [47:40] with Michigan Hall [47:42] or the science center, [47:43] they're still seeing [47:44] their science. [47:45] and pretty soon [47:48] they're going to get [47:49] an eclipse of the sun [47:52] and be able to see [47:53] the solar corona [47:54] and they're going to get [47:56] to see the Earth rise. [47:57] So this is a really [47:58] exciting time [48:00] for all four of them. [48:03] And, you know, [48:03] back in the 60s [48:05] and 70s, [48:06] 24 missions [48:09] landed, [48:11] had astronauts [48:12] that went [48:13] and orbited the moon. [48:15] and now we've added [48:16] 24 people, [48:18] not missions, [48:18] 24 astronauts [48:19] orbited the moon. [48:20] Now we've added [48:21] four more [48:22] to that number. [48:24] It's just a very [48:26] exciting time. [48:27] We talk a lot about, [48:29] obviously, [48:29] the far side of the moon, [48:31] the dark side of the moon, [48:32] what those astronauts [48:33] could possibly see [48:34] and what that actually means. [48:36] But, you know, [48:37] there's no communication [48:38] between ground control [48:40] and those astronauts [48:41] up there. [48:42] but you just talked [48:43] about the science. [48:45] So what exactly [48:46] are those four astronauts [48:47] doing when they do [48:49] right now actually [48:50] get behind the moon [48:52] and lose communication? [48:53] What exactly is going [48:54] on right now? [48:55] Well, they can still [48:57] see some things. [48:58] You know, [48:59] it's not really [49:00] the dark side of the moon, [49:02] it's the far side [49:03] of the moon. [49:03] We just don't ever [49:06] get to see it [49:06] from Earth. [49:09] So they will still [49:10] be able to see [49:10] some things. [49:13] The sun is still [49:14] out there, [49:15] although they are going [49:16] to get a solar eclipse. [49:18] So that'll be exciting, [49:20] but, you know, [49:21] they're still doing [49:22] their job. [49:23] I suspect [49:24] the two backup astronauts [49:26] that aren't in the [49:27] windows right now [49:28] are probably enjoying [49:30] a meal [49:32] or a snack. [49:34] You know, [49:34] they're taking [49:35] a little bit [49:35] of a break [49:36] during this time [49:37] just because [49:38] they have less to do. [49:40] But I also imagine [49:42] their still eyes [49:43] sealed out the window. [49:46] Now, the ask... [49:46] I would be... [49:47] No, go ahead, go ahead. [49:48] So already... [49:49] I would be, [49:50] I'd have my eyes [49:51] in the window. [49:52] I mean, [49:52] this is a once-in-a-lifetime [49:54] trip, [49:55] and you don't [49:56] want to miss anything. [49:57] No, you definitely [49:58] do not. [49:58] I do want to talk [49:59] about this one aspect. [50:00] These astronauts, [50:01] they actually may [50:03] get a glimpse [50:04] of Apollo landing sites. [50:06] It's truly a moment [50:06] where the past [50:07] is meeting the present. [50:09] So what are [50:09] the biggest differences, [50:10] aside from the fact [50:11] that we're not landing [50:12] on the moon again, [50:13] between these two missions? [50:15] How and why [50:15] were these selected? [50:16] There's a... [50:17] There is quite a bit [50:18] of difference [50:19] because they're much [50:21] farther from the moon, [50:23] and so they're able [50:24] to see so... [50:26] They're able to see [50:26] the entirety [50:27] of the far side [50:29] of the moon, [50:30] whereas no other person [50:31] has ever experienced [50:33] that. [50:35] And they're not orbiting [50:36] the moon over and over again. [50:39] They're just doing this [50:40] one time around the moon [50:41] before they head back to Earth. [50:43] So it's not like [50:44] they can miss a point, [50:48] miss part of the moon. [50:49] They need to be looking [50:50] at the moon [50:51] the entire time [50:52] they have it in the window [50:54] because in a few hours [50:56] they're going to be [50:57] accelerating pretty quickly [50:59] back towards Earth. [51:01] Yes, they will. [51:02] Susan Kilrain, [51:03] thank you so much [51:04] for that analysis. [51:04] More special coverage [51:05] ahead on the Artemis 2, [51:07] astronauts traveling [51:08] around the far side [51:09] of the moon, [51:10] now in a temporary [51:11] communications blackout. [51:13] Stay with us. [51:38] I'm Mike Adjachi in New York. [51:39] This is ABC News Live. [51:41] Artemis 2, [51:41] mission to the moon. [51:42] Welcome back to our friends [51:44] joining from National Geographic. [51:45] The astronauts now making [51:47] their high-stakes slingshot journey [51:49] around the far side [51:50] of the moon, [51:50] the first humans [51:51] to make the trip [51:52] since Apollo 17. [51:54] This is the point [51:55] at which the crew [51:56] is making their closest approach [51:57] to the lunar surface, [51:58] traveling within [51:59] just more than 4,000 miles. [52:02] They're now in a temporary [52:03] communications blackout [52:04] until they emerge [52:05] around the far side [52:06] back inside of Earth. [52:08] The four astronauts [52:09] making history, [52:10] extending their record [52:11] for the farthest human journey [52:13] ever into deep space. [52:14] Pilot Victor Glover, [52:16] now the first black person [52:17] to travel to the moon, [52:18] and mission specialist [52:19] Christina Cook, [52:20] the first woman. [52:21] The critical maneuver [52:22] right now, [52:23] sending the team speeding [52:24] at more than 1,000 miles per hour. [52:26] Let's bring in [52:27] ABC News transportation [52:28] correspondent Gio Benitez. [52:29] Gio, what a time [52:31] to be alive. [52:32] It's just incredible [52:33] that we're in this moment, [52:35] and I know that people [52:36] hearing that blackout period [52:37] of 40 minutes, [52:39] it's nothing to worry [52:39] about right now. [52:40] Everyone was always [52:41] expecting it, [52:42] but we sure are, [52:44] we can't wait to hear [52:45] what they have to say [52:46] when they come back [52:47] on the other side of it. [52:48] No doubt about it, [52:49] I don't know if you noticed, [52:50] right before we lost [52:52] that communication, [52:53] you actually saw the moon, [52:54] but then right behind it, [52:56] really small, [52:57] you actually did see planet Earth, [52:59] and that was that first image [53:00] where you saw Earth [53:01] in focus there, [53:02] and it's extraordinary [53:03] what we're seeing, [53:04] just extraordinary. [53:05] There's the image right there. [53:07] There, all the way [53:07] on the right side [53:08] of your screen, [53:09] that, that looks like [53:10] a crescent moon, [53:11] that's actually Earth, [53:12] and then you have [53:13] the moon right there. [53:14] Obviously, they're approaching [53:15] the far side there [53:16] because it's so dark. [53:18] All right, we just got confirmation [53:19] the crew is at the closest [53:21] they are to the lunar surface, [53:22] just about 4,000 miles for it. [53:24] You spoke to astronauts [53:26] who've gone on missions like this, [53:27] similar types of missions. [53:28] What do they say it feels like [53:29] from their perspective? [53:31] Well, what's really cool [53:32] on this particular case [53:33] is now I'm going to be able [53:34] to speak with astronauts [53:35] who actually travel to the moon, [53:37] but what's so cool about this [53:38] is when they're actually [53:39] going through space, [53:40] a lot of them are talking [53:41] about this sleep [53:43] that's indescribable. [53:44] These are the things [53:45] that they actually do talk about [53:46] because they're in complete [53:48] weightlessness. [53:49] In fact, Christina Koch [53:50] said that she was sleeping [53:52] like a bat, [53:53] upside down there [53:54] inside the spaceship. [53:56] So those are things [53:57] that they remember for sure, [53:58] but they also remember, Ike, [54:00] looking down on planet Earth [54:02] and seeing one race, [54:05] one human race, [54:07] and that is what they see, [54:08] the oneness of humanity, [54:10] because they're looking at it [54:12] from that perspective. [54:14] And I think that that's [54:14] a really important message [54:15] as we think about [54:16] all of the division [54:17] that we see on Earth. [54:19] You know, Artemis, [54:19] it's often described [54:20] as a bridge from Apollo [54:22] to a future [54:23] where there's a more [54:23] permanent presence in space. [54:25] How do you see this story [54:27] coming across [54:28] in what we're watching tonight? [54:29] Well, you know, [54:29] this is all critical. [54:31] What they're doing right now [54:32] is critical [54:32] for eventually building [54:34] that lunar base [54:35] because what you need to do [54:36] is you need to first [54:37] explore these areas. [54:38] What they're doing, [54:39] they're not on a joy trip, right? [54:41] They're literally taking images. [54:43] They're examining spots [54:44] that might be safe [54:45] to land on at some point. [54:47] And in 2028, [54:48] that's exactly [54:49] what they're going to be doing. [54:50] They're going to be landing [54:50] on the moon in 2028. [54:52] And that is the beginning [54:54] of perhaps building [54:55] this moon base. [54:56] And that moon base [54:57] will serve as a sort of [54:58] a pit stop, so to speak, [55:00] to the rest of the universe [55:01] because you need this place [55:03] to eventually be able [55:04] to launch rockets from. [55:06] And that's why the far side [55:07] is so important [55:08] is because we believe [55:09] that there is ice [55:10] and there is water [55:11] on that far side. [55:12] And that is what you need [55:14] to eventually build [55:15] some sort of base. [55:17] Now, we're about 20 minutes [55:18] until the communication [55:19] is restored [55:20] from the crew of the Artemis. [55:21] Obviously, from that point, [55:22] they'll be on the other [55:23] side of the moon. [55:24] So what happens [55:25] to the mission [55:25] from that point? [55:26] So from that point, [55:27] they begin that journey home. [55:29] And they start going back [55:30] probably faster toward Earth [55:32] because they're being pulled [55:34] by Earth's gravity. [55:36] And so that's going [55:37] to be something [55:37] that they're going to, [55:38] it's going to be interesting [55:39] to see how the spaceship [55:40] handles that. [55:41] But they will return [55:43] to Earth by Friday. [55:44] So the plan right now [55:45] is to splash down [55:47] off the coast of San Diego [55:48] on Friday. [55:49] That's the plan. [55:50] We don't expect any change. [55:52] And what's kind of interesting [55:53] about this is, [55:54] even if, [55:55] and this Orion has been [55:57] performing extraordinarily well, [55:59] but even if there was [56:00] some sort of failure, [56:01] Earth's gravity [56:02] and that pull, [56:03] that gravitational pull [56:04] will still bring it back [56:06] to our atmosphere. [56:07] So that's what's [56:08] really interesting about it. [56:09] Yeah, it really is interesting. [56:10] They're coming on home. [56:11] Love that. [56:12] They are. [56:12] All right, Gio. [56:13] Thanks a lot. [56:13] Thanks so much. [56:14] All right, for more [56:14] on the Artemis program [56:15] and how this first crewed flight [56:17] marks the first step [56:18] toward a long-term return [56:19] to the moon, [56:20] as well as a future missions [56:21] to Mars, [56:22] ABC's Melissa Adan [56:23] joining me now. [56:24] Melissa, so great [56:25] to talk to you. [56:25] Okay, once this flyby period [56:27] is over, [56:27] what more can you tell us [56:29] about the crew's journey home? [56:31] It's incredible, Ike, right? [56:32] So it's going to be [56:32] several days of preparations [56:34] for the Artemis 2 crews [56:35] to basically journey [56:36] back to Earth. [56:37] It's a process. [56:38] Essentially, [56:38] once they exit [56:39] the lunar sphere, [56:40] they will then have [56:41] to basically test [56:42] the spacecraft. [56:43] This is important, right? [56:44] Their manual piloting, [56:45] their maneuvering capabilities, [56:47] all that then. [56:48] The crew will also need [56:49] to build a radiation shelter. [56:51] This is basically [56:51] to protect them [56:52] against any possible [56:53] solar flares [56:55] when they do journey back. [56:56] Then on Thursday, [56:57] that's going to be [56:58] their final full day [56:59] where they prep [57:00] for Friday's re-entry [57:01] and study their splashdown [57:04] back to Earth. [57:05] Can you talk to us [57:06] about that splashdown [57:08] and how we're anticipating [57:09] the crew's return? [57:10] Absolutely, Ike. [57:11] It's really exciting [57:12] thinking about the Artemis 2 [57:13] and them basically [57:15] doing their splashdown. [57:16] It's going to happen [57:17] off the coast of San Diego. [57:19] As Gio was saying, [57:20] it's set for Friday [57:20] around 5 o'clock local time. [57:22] What's really interesting here [57:23] is we're talking about [57:24] these recovery teams [57:26] that's going to basically [57:27] be retrieving the crew [57:28] and it's all going to be [57:29] with the help [57:30] of the U.S. Navy. [57:31] They're going to be [57:31] using helicopters [57:32] to bring them [57:33] to a San Diego warship. [57:35] That's the USS John P. Murtha. [57:37] They're going to be docked out [57:38] in the Pacific Ocean [57:39] waiting for that moment [57:41] when they splash down. [57:42] Then they can retrieve [57:43] the astronauts. [57:44] Once everyone is on board, [57:45] that's where the astronauts [57:46] will undergo [57:47] post-mission medical evaluations, [57:50] make sure they're safe [57:50] and healthy [57:51] before taking them back [57:52] to shore [57:53] and returning [57:54] to NASA's Space Center [57:55] in Houston. [57:56] And look, Ike, [57:57] there will be watch parties [57:58] and all eyes all over them [58:00] happening across the country [58:01] and, of course, [58:02] in San Diego [58:03] where the splashdown [58:04] is taking center stage. [58:05] There's going to be [58:06] a really special watch party [58:08] hosted by the San Diego [58:09] Air and Space Museum. [58:10] That's where families [58:11] will get to watch live [58:13] this dramatic splashdown [58:14] of the Orion capsule. [58:16] Now, Melissa, [58:16] we talk about Artemis II [58:18] paving the way [58:19] for a lunar base [58:20] and travel to Mars. [58:22] So how is this [58:23] all going to happen? [58:24] It absolutely does, Ike. [58:26] I mean, think about it. [58:26] Artemis II celebrates [58:27] humanity's literal [58:29] next step towards the moon [58:30] and any future lunar trips [58:32] as they're working [58:32] basically to put together [58:34] and establish that base [58:35] on the moon. [58:36] But this is also key [58:37] for deep space exploration, [58:39] including NASA's plans [58:40] to visit Mars, right? [58:41] Something that sounded [58:42] so extra, so out there [58:45] is truly serving [58:46] as a stepping stone [58:47] to send humans [58:48] to missions like to Mars, [58:50] so honestly, Ike, [58:51] it just truly makes you think [58:53] what else is out there? [58:55] All right, Melissa, Don, [58:56] thank you so much [58:57] for that reporting. [58:59] Astrophysicist [59:00] and science educator [59:01] Hakeem Olesey. [59:02] Hakeem, thank you again [59:03] for bringing us [59:05] some important information [59:06] during this special. [59:07] Now, if you had to pick [59:08] one measurement [59:09] or discovery [59:10] you hope today's flyby [59:11] leads to, [59:12] what would it be? [59:15] Oh, man. [59:16] Thank you for the easy [59:17] softball question there. [59:19] I tell you, [59:22] you know, [59:22] I'm not going to answer [59:23] your question, man. [59:24] I'm just going to... [59:25] What I'm going to say [59:27] is Christina [59:28] is really racking up [59:30] the records, right? [59:31] She has a record [59:32] for the longest woman, [59:33] American woman, [59:34] in space. [59:34] Now she's gone farther [59:36] than any human. [59:38] But as far as [59:38] the science goes, [59:39] you know, [59:40] I think that, [59:41] you know, [59:42] when you are engaging [59:44] in an endeavor like this, [59:45] you're looking [59:46] for the unknown, [59:47] right? [59:47] You're gathering the data [59:49] and when the data [59:51] gets back [59:52] to the people [59:53] back here, [59:53] the planetary geologists, [59:55] they're going to [59:55] pour through it [59:56] and they're hoping [59:57] to find something [59:58] that they did not anticipate. [1:00:00] You know, [1:00:00] and that's one of the problems [1:00:01] with modern science. [1:00:02] It's not a problem at all. [1:00:03] The problem is [1:00:04] that we do things [1:00:05] so well [1:00:06] that quite often [1:00:07] we go somewhere [1:00:07] and we see [1:00:09] what we expected [1:00:10] to see, right? [1:00:11] And so, [1:00:12] because we've already [1:00:12] modeled it in our computer. [1:00:14] But then sometimes [1:00:15] when we go to a place [1:00:16] like Pluto, [1:00:17] we discover that, [1:00:18] no, [1:00:18] we got it all wrong. [1:00:20] And then you've opened up [1:00:21] a whole new era of study [1:00:23] for a whole new generation [1:00:24] of scientists. [1:00:25] And that is the best outcome. [1:00:28] If you go up there [1:00:29] and you find that, [1:00:31] hey, [1:00:31] here are more big mysteries, [1:00:33] that is what all the scientists [1:00:36] salivate over, [1:00:37] that moment. [1:00:38] So how does this mission [1:00:39] move us closer [1:00:40] to the science [1:00:41] we want to do [1:00:42] on Mars and beyond? [1:00:45] Yeah. [1:00:45] So this whole idea [1:00:46] of establishing [1:00:47] an infrastructure [1:00:48] and learning [1:00:49] how to live [1:00:50] in space [1:00:51] as humans [1:00:52] in these incredibly [1:00:53] hostile environments [1:00:54] is what this is [1:00:55] a stepping stone toward. [1:00:57] And so the more [1:00:58] we do that [1:00:59] in this peace-wise fashion, [1:01:01] one step at a time, [1:01:02] we're eventually [1:01:03] going to be there, right? [1:01:04] In fact, [1:01:05] Mars is in some ways [1:01:06] a friendlier environment [1:01:08] than the moon. [1:01:08] So if we're able [1:01:09] to establish [1:01:10] a permanent presence [1:01:11] on the moon, [1:01:12] I think that [1:01:13] doing it on Mars, [1:01:15] that'll mean [1:01:16] that it'll be [1:01:16] a longer trip [1:01:18] back and forth, [1:01:19] but I think that means [1:01:20] we'll be able [1:01:21] to pull it off [1:01:21] on Mars, [1:01:22] a place where [1:01:23] the temperatures [1:01:23] will be warmer, [1:01:24] there'll be [1:01:24] some atmospheric pressure, [1:01:27] and we've had [1:01:29] already water [1:01:31] discovered there [1:01:32] in more abundance [1:01:33] than we've discovered [1:01:34] it on the moon. [1:01:35] So I think that [1:01:36] establishing this [1:01:37] infrastructure [1:01:38] on the moon [1:01:39] is really going [1:01:40] to make a giant [1:01:41] leap forward [1:01:42] to us surviving [1:01:43] on Mars [1:01:44] for a long-term duration. [1:01:47] So, Hakeem, [1:01:47] I've got to ask you, [1:01:48] what kind of data [1:01:49] or imagery [1:01:50] are you and your colleagues [1:01:52] looking for [1:01:52] to get your hands on [1:01:53] as this mission [1:01:54] is finished? [1:01:55] Well, you know, [1:01:56] the best type of data [1:01:58] is actual samples [1:01:59] from the surface, [1:02:00] you know, [1:02:00] and so I've had [1:02:01] a lot of colleagues, [1:02:02] I don't work directly [1:02:03] in planetary geology myself, [1:02:05] but I have had colleagues [1:02:07] that are good friends [1:02:08] that work with [1:02:09] some of the lunar regolith [1:02:10] in their experiments [1:02:11] and, you know, [1:02:12] that type of work [1:02:13] is really exciting [1:02:14] because then, you know, [1:02:15] you can make [1:02:16] actual measurements [1:02:17] of samples [1:02:19] from different sites, [1:02:20] get different insights [1:02:21] about the history [1:02:22] and the makeup [1:02:23] of the moon, [1:02:24] and on this mission, [1:02:25] you know, [1:02:25] they're using colors [1:02:26] as an analog for that. [1:02:28] They're not going [1:02:28] to be able [1:02:28] to retrieve any samples. [1:02:30] And then you have [1:02:30] cases sometimes [1:02:31] like with the asteroids [1:02:33] that recently returned [1:02:34] material to Earth [1:02:35] like from Ryugu [1:02:36] where you find organics, [1:02:39] right? [1:02:39] So if you can find organics [1:02:41] on an asteroid, [1:02:42] of course, [1:02:43] you can probably [1:02:43] find them on the moon. [1:02:45] And then what does [1:02:46] that tell us [1:02:46] about the possibility [1:02:47] for life elsewhere [1:02:49] in the universe, [1:02:50] especially in water-rich areas [1:02:52] like the moons [1:02:53] of the outer planets, [1:02:54] Jupiter, Saturn, [1:02:55] Uranus, and Neptune? [1:02:56] You know, [1:02:56] our universe is vast, [1:02:59] it is diverse, [1:03:00] and, you know, [1:03:02] we know life exists [1:03:03] because it exists [1:03:04] here on Earth, [1:03:05] but understanding, [1:03:06] you know, [1:03:06] how it all plays together, [1:03:08] how the water [1:03:09] on Earth got here, [1:03:11] you know, [1:03:11] how life on Earth [1:03:12] got here, [1:03:13] we're going to get [1:03:13] those answers [1:03:14] by studying these [1:03:15] other bodies in detail. [1:03:16] And that is the process [1:03:18] that we have begun. [1:03:19] All right. [1:03:20] Hakeem Olussey, [1:03:21] thank you so much [1:03:21] for that analysis. [1:03:22] Let's bring in Jim Bell. [1:03:24] He's a professor [1:03:24] of Earth Science, [1:03:25] Earth and Space Exploration [1:03:27] at Arizona State, [1:03:29] and former president [1:03:30] of the Planetary Society. [1:03:32] Now, [1:03:32] I got to ask you this, [1:03:33] this unbelievable moment [1:03:35] right here. [1:03:35] Nobody under 55 years old [1:03:37] has ever witnessed [1:03:39] what we're about to see here. [1:03:40] What will this moment [1:03:41] mean for history? [1:03:44] Well, [1:03:45] you know, [1:03:45] I'm, [1:03:45] I was just as excited [1:03:47] Susan mentioned [1:03:48] when they went behind the moon, [1:03:50] the Earth set behind the moon, [1:03:53] and that means [1:03:53] when they come out [1:03:54] to the other side, [1:03:55] the Earth will rise, [1:03:57] right? [1:03:57] And many people [1:03:58] of a certain age [1:03:59] remember [1:04:00] the famous [1:04:01] Earthrise photography [1:04:03] from the Apollo 8 mission [1:04:05] back in 1968, [1:04:06] and how transformative [1:04:08] it was to that generation, [1:04:11] to our society [1:04:12] at that time [1:04:12] to see our planet, [1:04:14] this fragile disk in space [1:04:17] with a thin atmosphere, [1:04:19] and realize that [1:04:20] we are indeed all together [1:04:22] on this one special place. [1:04:24] And I think [1:04:24] that kind of a moment [1:04:25] captured now [1:04:27] in high-def, [1:04:28] high-res, [1:04:30] digital video [1:04:31] is going to be [1:04:33] pretty spectacular. [1:04:34] So I'm really excited [1:04:35] about seeing [1:04:35] those images. [1:04:37] Jim, [1:04:39] how important [1:04:39] is international cooperation [1:04:41] when we see missions [1:04:43] like this? [1:04:45] Well, [1:04:45] you know, [1:04:46] NASA works with [1:04:47] many, many other countries [1:04:48] around the world. [1:04:50] of course, [1:04:50] we have a Canadian astronaut [1:04:51] on board, [1:04:52] the first Canadian, [1:04:54] first non-U.S. citizen [1:04:55] to travel to the moon. [1:04:56] That's super exciting. [1:04:59] You may remember [1:05:00] that the Canadians [1:05:01] built the famous [1:05:02] Canada arm [1:05:03] on the space shuttle. [1:05:05] Many, many countries [1:05:06] around the world, [1:05:07] the European Space Agency, [1:05:08] contributing [1:05:09] very important components [1:05:11] to this mission. [1:05:13] Other countries, [1:05:14] as part of the Artemis Accords, [1:05:15] have agreed to participate [1:05:18] in not just [1:05:19] the current exploration, [1:05:20] but also robotic programs [1:05:22] and future human exploration. [1:05:24] So, you know, [1:05:25] the more neurons [1:05:27] we can bring in [1:05:28] from all these different [1:05:29] nations and perspectives [1:05:31] and experiences, [1:05:32] I think the better off [1:05:33] we'll be as explorers. [1:05:36] You know, [1:05:36] we're less than 15 minutes now [1:05:38] or about 15 minutes [1:05:39] until we get the communication [1:05:41] back with the Artemis II. [1:05:42] When we see the Artemis II [1:05:44] emerge from behind the moon [1:05:47] and we can essentially [1:05:48] see them again, [1:05:49] what will that moment [1:05:50] mean to you? [1:05:53] Well, I mean, [1:05:54] it's one thing to know [1:05:55] that, well, [1:05:57] the laws of physics [1:05:57] and Isaac Newton says [1:05:59] this is going to happen, [1:06:00] and that's all [1:06:01] mathematically correct [1:06:02] and nobody has any doubt [1:06:04] scientifically, [1:06:05] but also just emotionally, [1:06:07] you know, [1:06:08] to know that there are [1:06:09] four people [1:06:10] who are completely [1:06:11] and utterly disconnected [1:06:13] from their entire species [1:06:15] right now [1:06:15] at this very moment. [1:06:17] And then they will emerge [1:06:18] and phone home [1:06:20] and then we'll be back [1:06:22] together again. [1:06:23] I mean, [1:06:24] they must be, [1:06:25] I can't even imagine [1:06:26] what they're thinking. [1:06:27] The combination of isolation, [1:06:29] the combination of excitement, [1:06:31] they're working hard. [1:06:32] So many things have to happen [1:06:34] during this time. [1:06:35] It's going to probably go by [1:06:36] like that for them, [1:06:38] but I think they will be, [1:06:39] I'm guessing, [1:06:40] as glad to see [1:06:41] and hear from all of us [1:06:42] as we will be to see [1:06:44] and hear from the four of them. [1:06:45] Now, Jim, [1:06:47] we just had confirmation [1:06:48] that the crew [1:06:49] is now at the maximum distance [1:06:51] reached from Earth. [1:06:53] What does that mean to you? [1:06:56] Well, you know, [1:06:57] think about it, right? [1:06:58] The moon is our nearest [1:07:01] neighbor in space. [1:07:02] It is our celestial companion, [1:07:04] right? [1:07:05] And still, [1:07:06] with the fastest rockets [1:07:07] that we can send, [1:07:08] it still took them [1:07:09] three days [1:07:10] to get to this [1:07:11] closest port of call [1:07:14] that they could get to, [1:07:15] right? [1:07:16] So space is fast. [1:07:18] And the fact that, [1:07:19] you know, [1:07:20] most astronauts [1:07:21] have traveled [1:07:21] in low Earth orbit, [1:07:23] very close to the Earth. [1:07:24] I like to imagine [1:07:25] if the Earth was a basketball [1:07:26] and you had a dime [1:07:27] and you held the dime [1:07:28] up onto the edge [1:07:29] of the basketball, [1:07:30] the top of the dime [1:07:31] is where low Earth orbit is. [1:07:33] That's where most astronauts [1:07:35] have been. [1:07:35] But a small, [1:07:36] small number of people, [1:07:38] I think Susan said [1:07:39] it was 20, [1:07:40] 26 or so, [1:07:41] people have now traveled [1:07:43] way beyond that dime, [1:07:45] way out into deep space, [1:07:48] quarter million miles away [1:07:49] and more. [1:07:50] And, of course, [1:07:51] they're setting the record. [1:07:53] Some people will come [1:07:54] after them [1:07:54] and set new records, [1:07:56] of course, [1:07:57] and will eventually [1:07:57] travel on to Mars, [1:07:59] asteroids, [1:08:00] the outer solar system [1:08:01] and beyond. [1:08:02] Okay, [1:08:02] we just got confirmation. [1:08:03] We're about seven minutes, [1:08:04] actually, [1:08:05] until we get communication [1:08:06] from the crew [1:08:07] of the Artemis II. [1:08:08] What do you think [1:08:09] is going on right now [1:08:10] in ground control? [1:08:13] Well, [1:08:13] probably they're taking [1:08:14] a little bit of a break, [1:08:15] hopefully, [1:08:16] a little bio break maybe, [1:08:18] grab a snack. [1:08:19] I'm sure that just like the crew, [1:08:22] many of those people [1:08:23] are having trouble sleeping [1:08:25] because it's so exciting. [1:08:26] They've trained for so long [1:08:28] for this. [1:08:29] I've been seeing the pictures [1:08:30] of the science room. [1:08:31] I have many friends [1:08:32] and colleagues [1:08:33] in that room. [1:08:34] I know they're super excited [1:08:35] about getting those [1:08:36] incredible pictures back [1:08:37] that the astronauts [1:08:39] are taking [1:08:39] with those high-def, [1:08:40] you know, [1:08:41] 4K Zoom cameras, [1:08:43] getting these spectacular views [1:08:45] of parts of the moon [1:08:46] that haven't been seen [1:08:48] by human eyes [1:08:49] for more than 50 years. [1:08:50] So I think [1:08:51] they're just probably [1:08:52] taking a little breather, [1:08:53] getting ready [1:08:54] for this torrent [1:08:55] of data and information [1:08:56] that's going to come back [1:08:57] on the status [1:08:59] of the spacecraft, [1:09:00] health of the crew, [1:09:01] quality of the data, [1:09:02] all that stuff [1:09:03] coming back soon. [1:09:04] You know, [1:09:04] from a scientist's [1:09:05] point of view, [1:09:06] how does the Artemis mission [1:09:07] expand our ability [1:09:09] to explore other worlds [1:09:11] in the solar system? [1:09:13] I think, you know, [1:09:14] I think of these missions [1:09:15] as twofold scientifically, [1:09:16] right? [1:09:17] There's a ton [1:09:18] of really useful [1:09:18] and interesting science [1:09:20] about the moon [1:09:20] that we want to do. [1:09:21] The Apollo samples [1:09:22] from the 60s and 70s [1:09:24] helped us learn [1:09:24] about the origin [1:09:25] of the moon, [1:09:26] the origin of the Earth-Moon system [1:09:27] and the history [1:09:28] of our planet [1:09:29] and our nearest [1:09:30] planetary neighbor, [1:09:31] the moon. [1:09:33] Going back, [1:09:34] there's still plenty to do. [1:09:35] Field geology, [1:09:36] composition, [1:09:37] mineralogy, [1:09:38] geochemistry, [1:09:39] looking for buried ice [1:09:42] and other resources [1:09:43] that can be used [1:09:44] by future settlers. [1:09:45] So there's the basic science [1:09:47] of the moon. [1:09:48] That's part of it. [1:09:49] But also, [1:09:50] all of this is pathfinding [1:09:51] and getting to the moon, [1:09:53] learning how to travel there, [1:09:54] learning how the human body [1:09:56] reacts in space, [1:09:58] what happens to the human body [1:09:59] that's being measured now [1:10:00] on these four people [1:10:01] with, for the first time, [1:10:03] very modern instrumentation. [1:10:04] So we really have [1:10:05] a much better feel [1:10:06] for the effects [1:10:07] of low gravity [1:10:09] and radiation [1:10:10] in that environment. [1:10:12] So we need to learn [1:10:13] all of that. [1:10:13] We need to learn [1:10:14] how to build structures, [1:10:15] how to redo spacesuits, [1:10:17] how to interact [1:10:18] with deep space environments, [1:10:20] how to survive [1:10:20] in a small space [1:10:21] for long periods of time. [1:10:23] This is all going [1:10:24] to be required [1:10:25] for people to get out there [1:10:26] and explore Mars, [1:10:27] which is a much, [1:10:28] much farther journey, [1:10:30] asteroids, [1:10:31] the outer solar system, [1:10:32] and the rest [1:10:33] of our solar system. [1:10:34] All right. [1:10:35] Dr. Jim Bell, [1:10:35] thank you for that perspective. [1:10:37] Let's bring in [1:10:37] former NASA astronaut [1:10:39] Susan Kilrain. [1:10:40] Susan, [1:10:40] what are the biggest obstacles [1:10:42] the crew is facing right now? [1:10:44] Again, [1:10:45] there are about four minutes [1:10:46] until we can get communication. [1:10:49] You know, [1:10:50] I think it's really [1:10:51] just the cumulative days [1:10:53] that they've been working [1:10:54] a lot, [1:10:56] long hours. [1:10:56] I think they might have [1:10:58] lost an hour of sleep [1:10:59] last night [1:10:59] that they'll gain back later. [1:11:01] And so they're probably tired, [1:11:05] but they're also so energized [1:11:07] about the mission [1:11:10] and this lunar flyby [1:11:12] that has never been done [1:11:14] by humans ever. [1:11:17] So I'm happy to say [1:11:19] that part of day seven tomorrow, [1:11:21] they get some time off, actually. [1:11:23] They have in their schedule [1:11:25] time off to relax, [1:11:29] maybe reflect with each other, [1:11:31] perhaps communicate [1:11:33] with their families a little bit. [1:11:35] I don't know that for a fact. [1:11:37] But as they start headed back home, [1:11:39] a good bit of tomorrow [1:11:41] is a day off. [1:11:42] You know, [1:11:42] we just saw that the Artemis 2 [1:11:44] has now reached [1:11:45] the farthest distance away from Earth, [1:11:48] over 250,000 miles, [1:11:50] and now they are beginning [1:11:51] their journey home. [1:11:53] What are the major milestones [1:11:55] for the next 24 hours? [1:11:58] You know, [1:11:59] like if they did absolutely nothing, [1:12:02] they would splash down [1:12:03] in the Pacific Ocean. [1:12:05] But there's an opportunity [1:12:07] for three correction burns, [1:12:09] three small correction burns, [1:12:10] to narrow in exactly [1:12:13] where they splash down. [1:12:15] That makes it easier [1:12:16] to have resources in place [1:12:18] for the Navy to pick them up. [1:12:20] They will do, [1:12:22] like I said, [1:12:23] their relax time. [1:12:23] They're going to exercise more [1:12:25] because they're about [1:12:26] to come back to Earth [1:12:27] where gravity is going to be [1:12:29] a strain on their heart. [1:12:30] And so they need to get [1:12:32] their cardiovascular system strong, [1:12:35] make sure it stays strong. [1:12:37] They have a time [1:12:38] where they're going to build [1:12:40] a radiation shelter [1:12:41] inside Orion [1:12:43] and all climb in there. [1:12:45] And this is for future spaceflights [1:12:48] where perhaps there's [1:12:49] some major solar activity [1:12:51] that's going to bring radiation [1:12:53] onto a spacecraft [1:12:55] and the astronauts [1:12:57] are going to need [1:12:57] to protect themselves. [1:12:59] So they're going to practice [1:13:00] this building of a shelter [1:13:02] that will insulate them [1:13:05] from that increased radiation. [1:13:08] And other than that, [1:13:08] they're going to accelerate. [1:13:10] They're down around [1:13:11] 900 miles an hour right now. [1:13:13] And they're going to start accelerating [1:13:15] as the Earth's gravity [1:13:17] pulls them back faster and faster [1:13:19] to about 25,000 miles per hour [1:13:22] before they reenter [1:13:24] the Earth's atmosphere. [1:13:26] You've just outlined [1:13:27] so many crucial aspects [1:13:28] of this mission. [1:13:31] From your experience, [1:13:32] what's the biggest challenge? [1:13:34] Is it the precision flying, [1:13:36] the procedures, [1:13:36] or the human factor? [1:13:39] It's the cumulativeness. [1:13:41] It's all of it combined together. [1:13:43] Nothing in and of itself [1:13:44] is that challenging or difficult. [1:13:47] It's the fact that, [1:13:48] one, they've been training [1:13:49] for years at a high level, [1:13:51] and now they're doing [1:13:53] the mission at a high level. [1:13:55] It's the cumulativeness. [1:13:56] All right, Susan, one second. [1:13:57] I don't mean to cut you off, [1:13:59] but we are hearing [1:13:59] from ground control. [1:14:01] Let's listen in right now. [1:14:02] ...serving the moon [1:14:03] at Windows 2 and 3. [1:14:05] One crew member is in Window 2 [1:14:12] with a blue shroud over the window, [1:14:14] taking photos [1:14:15] and using an 80-400mm zoom lens, [1:14:18] while the other astronaut [1:14:19] is in Window 3 [1:14:20] using their portable computing device, [1:14:22] also known as a PCD, [1:14:23] to make annotations. [1:14:25] And both of those crew members [1:14:26] are making audio recordings [1:14:28] of what they are seeing. [1:14:29] They are wearing headsets [1:14:32] connected to their PCDs, [1:14:33] and those audio recordings [1:14:34] are being sent [1:14:35] to the science team tonight. [1:14:37] We are not hearing those live. [1:14:39] However, we have been hearing [1:14:40] quite a lot [1:14:41] of great descriptions [1:14:42] from the crew [1:14:43] who have been serving [1:14:44] as the support. [1:14:45] Right now, [1:14:46] the support team members [1:14:47] are Reed Wiseman [1:14:48] and Jeremy Hansen. [1:14:51] Those team members [1:14:51] are providing science sit-reps, [1:14:54] situation reports, [1:14:55] calling down a few times [1:14:56] each hour [1:14:57] to discuss what they're observing. [1:14:58] And even though [1:14:59] we're out of contact [1:15:00] with them right now, [1:15:01] they are still conducting [1:15:02] those science sit-reps [1:15:04] as they'll be available [1:15:05] once they come back [1:15:06] around the moon. [1:15:10] The situation reports [1:15:11] include how the crew [1:15:12] is positioned, [1:15:13] any missed targets, [1:15:14] or anything unexpected [1:15:15] they saw. [1:15:16] They're also including [1:15:17] lunar target descriptions, [1:15:18] any hardware issues, [1:15:19] and their emotions [1:15:20] and reactions. [1:15:33] Again, [1:15:33] we are standing by [1:15:34] to acquire signal [1:15:36] from the Orion spacecraft. [1:16:07] All right, [1:16:07] we are in that crucial moment [1:16:09] where we are waiting [1:16:09] for the Artemis II spacecraft [1:16:11] to regain communication [1:16:13] with ground control. [1:16:15] Any minute now, [1:16:16] we should hear them crossing [1:16:18] around the far side [1:16:20] of the moon [1:16:20] and again, [1:16:21] starting to see Earth again [1:16:23] where they will regain communication [1:16:25] with ground control. [1:16:27] We did just hear from them. [1:16:28] They say that they have been [1:16:30] sending back audio recordings. [1:16:32] Again, [1:16:32] they're not live. [1:16:33] However, [1:16:34] they do know [1:16:34] that they will be sending [1:16:36] those back [1:16:36] giving ground control information. [1:16:37] We're in the Artemis [1:16:38] Mission Control Room [1:16:39] at Johnson Space Center. [1:16:40] Getting our preliminary contact [1:16:42] with Orion, [1:16:43] that acquisition of signal [1:16:44] coming after a 40-minute loss [1:16:47] of signal during which [1:16:48] the crew was flying [1:16:49] behind the moon [1:16:50] out of contact [1:16:51] with anyone on Earth. [1:16:52] Again, [1:17:01] we are just moments away [1:17:02] from the Artemis II mission [1:17:04] regaining communications [1:17:05] with ground control [1:17:06] and we heard ground control [1:17:08] essentially tell us [1:17:09] what the crew members [1:17:11] have been doing [1:17:11] this entire time. [1:17:13] We heard them explain [1:17:14] science SITREPs, [1:17:16] which are situation reports. [1:17:18] We know that [1:17:18] Commander Reed Wiseman [1:17:20] and some other astronauts [1:17:22] have been giving these [1:17:23] and what they essentially are [1:17:24] are just mini reports [1:17:26] about what exactly [1:17:27] is going on [1:17:28] at the moment. [1:17:29] They're talking about [1:17:30] their position, [1:17:32] the Orion spacecraft [1:17:33] with regard to the moon, [1:17:35] any missed targets [1:17:36] possibly. [1:17:37] They're also reporting [1:17:38] any hardware issues. [1:17:40] We are getting our first views [1:17:42] from Orion [1:17:43] after the loss of signal. [1:17:46] Orion has come back [1:17:46] around the other side [1:17:47] of the moon [1:17:48] and that little crescent [1:17:50] that you see is Earth [1:17:51] over 252,000 miles away. [1:17:56] Again, [1:17:56] the signal has been restored. [1:17:58] We are hearing [1:17:59] from ground control [1:18:00] that they have in fact [1:18:02] gained communications [1:18:03] with the Artemis 2. [1:18:04] But Orion has also technically [1:18:05] begun its journey home. [1:18:07] Again, [1:18:12] we've been hearing [1:18:13] about those situation reports [1:18:15] that they were given back. [1:18:16] One of them, [1:18:17] one key part [1:18:18] of those situation reports [1:18:19] is reporting about the emotions [1:18:21] that the crew are feeling. [1:18:21] Now the crew are getting [1:18:22] a few moments [1:18:22] to enjoy [1:18:23] and take photos [1:18:24] of Earthrise [1:18:25] for themselves [1:18:26] and we expect [1:18:27] to contact them shortly. [1:18:28] But we do have good signal [1:18:30] coming from Orion. [1:18:32] And there it is, [1:18:32] good signal from Orion. [1:18:34] They are taking pictures [1:18:35] at the moment [1:18:36] and really just taking in [1:18:38] this historic moment [1:18:39] where four astronauts [1:18:41] managed to travel [1:18:42] farther than any human [1:18:44] in history [1:18:45] and now they are making [1:18:46] their way back to Earth [1:18:48] using the moon's gravity [1:18:49] to help them slingshot [1:18:51] right back to Earth [1:18:52] where they will make [1:18:53] that splashdown [1:18:54] just off the coast [1:18:55] of San Diego. [1:18:57] Let's bring back in [1:18:58] Susan Kilroy [1:18:59] who's going to help [1:19:00] Kill Rain rather [1:19:01] who's going to help us [1:19:01] give us some perspective [1:19:03] at this moment. [1:19:04] Susan, [1:19:04] you now heard [1:19:05] that they've officially [1:19:06] regained communication [1:19:07] with the Artemis 2. [1:19:08] What's going through [1:19:09] your mind at this moment? [1:19:11] This view [1:19:11] from inside the Orion spacecraft. [1:19:13] I've actually brought me [1:19:13] back to my Capcom gaze [1:19:15] when we lost signal [1:19:16] every space shuttle [1:19:18] every space station [1:19:20] orbit [1:19:22] we lost it [1:19:23] for only about [1:19:24] five to ten minutes. [1:19:26] We anticipate [1:19:27] during that [1:19:27] but I would [1:19:28] eagerly wait to hear [1:19:30] if they heard us [1:19:31] and we could hear them. [1:19:33] Now we are just [1:19:34] getting our first images [1:19:36] from inside [1:19:37] the Orion capsule. [1:19:38] We are starting [1:19:39] to understand [1:19:41] the fact that [1:19:41] they are starting [1:19:42] to speak [1:19:43] with ground control. [1:19:44] Those communications [1:19:45] are being restored. [1:19:47] How momentous [1:19:48] is this new update [1:19:49] that we're hearing? [1:19:52] This is fabulous. [1:19:53] They got to take time [1:19:55] to all look [1:19:56] at the Earth rise [1:19:57] as they came [1:19:58] around the moon [1:19:59] and now I know [1:20:01] that they are [1:20:02] a combination [1:20:03] of sad [1:20:05] to be starting [1:20:05] their journey home [1:20:06] but also excited [1:20:08] to be going home [1:20:08] to their loved ones. [1:20:09] And what does [1:20:11] this moment mean [1:20:12] for humanity [1:20:13] as we've now [1:20:14] Oh, one second [1:20:16] let's actually listen [1:20:16] back into ground control [1:20:17] they have some more updates. [1:20:19] Integrity from Earth [1:20:57] are single system [1:20:58] fragile and interconnected [1:21:00] we copy [1:21:00] those of us [1:21:02] that can [1:21:02] are looking back. [1:21:12] And we just heard [1:21:13] the first words [1:21:15] from the astronauts [1:21:15] aboard the Artemis 2 mission [1:21:18] you heard them say [1:21:19] we will explore [1:21:20] we will build [1:21:21] we will inspire [1:21:23] Susan Kilroy [1:21:24] Kilray [1:21:24] thank you so much [1:21:26] I'm Mike Ajachi [1:21:27] in New York [1:21:28] thank you to those [1:21:29] watching on ABC News Live [1:21:31] Live [1:21:31] and National Geographic [1:21:33] the Artemis 2 astronauts [1:21:34] rounding the far side [1:21:36] of the moon [1:21:36] about to observe [1:21:38] the solar eclipse [1:21:39] along their historic flyby [1:21:40] up next [1:21:41] more coverage [1:21:42] on ABC News Live [1:21:43] Prime [1:21:44] with Lindsay Davis [1:21:45] but we leave you now [1:21:46] with a look back [1:21:47] at the day [1:21:48] that was [1:21:49] to infinity [1:21:50] and beyond.