The countdown to a historic lunar encounter has reached its peak. For the first time in over five decades, human beings are returning to the deep lunar vicinity.
The Artemis 2 mission is a leap for humanity as four astronauts prepare to swing around the far side of the Moon.
The far side of the Moon is the hemisphere that always faces away from Earth due to a phenomenon called tidal locking, which means we can never see it from our planet.
Unlike the near side that we see every night, the far side remains a rugged, mysterious expanse.
The Artemis 2 astronauts will begin flying around the Moon at around 11:26 pm IST.
WHAT IS THE ARTEMIS 2 LUNAR FLYBY?
This mission uses a specific path called a free-return trajectory. Think of it as a celestial U-turn.
The Orion spacecraft uses the massive pull of lunar gravity to whip itself around the Moon and head back toward Earth without needing to fire its main engines for the return trip.
It is a brilliant way to save fuel while ensuring the safety of the crew.
During this flyby, the astronauts will be checking every life-support system to make sure the ship is ready for future Moon missions.
HOW CAN YOU WATCH THE ARTEMIS 2 MISSION LIVE?
Nasa is providing a real-time feed that includes views from the cameras mounted on the Orion spacecraft.
Viewers on Earth can see the lunar surface getting closer and watch the breathtaking Earthrise as the capsule emerges from behind the Moon.
Because the spacecraft is travelling through deep space, there might be slight delays in the signal, but the live coverage offers the most intimate look at a Moon mission since the 1970s.
WHAT IS THE ARTEMIS 2 FLIGHT SCHEDULE?
On Monday, April 6, at 10:11 a.m. IST, Orion entered the lunar sphere of influence.
Following a science briefing at 11:00 p.m. IST, the crew will begin their historic transit.
Observations will begin on Tuesday, April 7, at 12:15 a.m. IST, leading up to the tense moment at 4:14 a.m. IST when mission control expects to temporarily lose communication.
The spacecraft will reach its closest approach to the Moon at 4:32 a.m. IST, reaching a distance of 6,550 kilometres from the lunar surface.
This will be followed by a spectacular solar eclipse from 6:05 a.m. to 7:02 a.m. IST.
The mission will conclude its lunar exit on Tuesday, April 7, at 10:55 p.m. IST.
You can follow every second of this journey through the official live stream provided by Nasa, or stream it on Netflix.
