Artemis II astronauts share views of Earth as Orion nears moon flyby

CAPE CANAVERAL, FL. (KTVZ) -- NASA’s Artemis II crew is offering a rare look inside the Orion spacecraft as the mission passes the halfway mark to the moon, marking a major step toward returning humans to deep space for the first time in more than 50 years.

New images released by NASA show astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen gazing back at Earth from nearly 200,000 miles away. The crew is expected to reach the moon Monday for a planned flyby before heading back home.

The mission hasn’t been without a few hiccups.

NASA officials say astronauts ran into an issue with the spacecraft’s waste system early in the flight, temporarily preventing them from properly venting urine. Flight controllers determined a vent line had frozen, likely leaving what one official described as “frozen urine” in the system.

Engineers worked to fix the problem by rotating Orion to warm the line in sunlight, partially clearing the blockage. At one point, the toilet was cleared for limited use before eventually returning to full function.

Despite the unusual setback, the crew has continued operations smoothly, even sharing video of waste venting outside the spacecraft — appearing like shimmering droplets drifting through space.

Shortly after launch, the astronauts also had to troubleshoot a separate issue with the toilet pump, which was resolved by adding more water to the system.

The onboard toilet, astronauts say, is one of the most important pieces of equipment on any space mission — especially compared to earlier lunar missions. During the Apollo era, astronauts relied on collection bags, a system widely described as uncomfortable and difficult to manage.

For Oregon viewers following along, the Artemis II mission represents a renewed push by NASA to return humans to the moon — with the goal of landing astronauts on the lunar surface by 2028.

NASA says the current mission will help test critical systems needed for future deep-space travel, including long-duration crew operations aboard Orion.