NASA deflects critics of ‘fly-by’ moon mission: ‘Have to walk before you can run’

Published April 3, 2026 6:20pm ET



NASA on Friday said astronauts on Artemis II will be able to view the moon on Monday, offering insight into the historic mission that is sending humans back into deep space for the first time in 53 years.

NASA officials gave an update on Artemis II in a press conference, saying the four-person crew woke up this morning in space to the song “In a Daydream” and is in “great spirits” after the rocket lifted off Earth at Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Wednesday. In the latest update, officials justify the mission’s rationale, amid questions about why it is not making a lunar landing, and revealed that Artemis II is set to make its closest approach to the moon on Monday afternoon, around 2:30 p.m.

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