NASA’s Artemis II crew flew the Orion spacecraft around the Moon, reaching a closest approach of 4,067 miles and setting a new record distance from Earth of 252,756 miles. Commander Reid Wiseman marveled at the lunar view as the astronauts streamed low-res video and prepared to downlink higher-resolution images overnight. This marks the first human mission near the Moon in over 53 years, with the crew using geology and photography training to document the surface.

SpaceX has proposed a simplified mission to NASA to expedite the return of astronauts to the moon, responding to criticisms about delays in its lunar landing system. NASA is evaluating proposals from both SpaceX and Blue Origin to accelerate production, amid concerns over competition with China in lunar exploration. Elon Musk has publicly criticized NASA's acting administrator for the delays and the scrutiny faced by the agency.