Nasa issues two major updates on Artemis II crew's fate

Dan McDonald
Wed, 08 Apr 2026 04:02:12 +0000

Nasa has issued two major updates on the Artemis II crew as the astronauts continue their journey back to Earth.

As the mission entered its seventh day, the space agency confirmed the four's return date and provided the latest on the ongoing toilet issues onboard the spacecraft.

Nasa has admitted astronauts have been forced to limit the use of the toilet due to ongoing issues with the wastewater venting system.

And on Tuesday, flight director Rick Henfling explained that evacuating the wastewater tank has proved more difficult than expected.

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“The toilet remains operational,” Mr Henfling said at a press conference.

“The challenge that we're working through is evacuating the wastewater tank. The vent is a lot less than we were expecting.”

The issue is believed to have been caused by ice and frozen urine blocking the vent line, with astronauts using heaters and other methods to thaw and clear the obstruction.

As a result, the crew has been forced to rely on backup urine collection systems rather than the primary toilet.

Mr Henfling added that reduced usage has had one benefit, with the onboard holding tank requiring less frequent upkeep.

“With a lower use rate, since we're not able to vent the waste water products, we don't need to do the maintenance as often,” he said.

Meanwhile, the space agency confirmed the date the astronauts will set foot back down on Earth.

It said on social media: "We anticipate that the Orion spacecraft has now departed the lunar sphere of influence - this is when the gravitational pull of the Moon is stronger than the gravitational pull of Earth.

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"The Artemis II crew are headed home. Splashdown will take place on Friday, April 10."

Nasa has also released the first images from the mission’s lunar flyby, revealing parts of the Moon never before seen by humans, alongside a rare solar eclipse captured from space.

The photographs, published on Tuesday, were taken on April 6 as the four-person crew spent seven hours passing the Moon’s far side.

Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, alongside Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, used multiple cameras to capture thousands of images during the mission.

“Our four Artemis II astronauts Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy took humanity on an incredible journey around the Moon and brought back images so exquisite and brimming with science, they will inspire generations to come,” said Dr Nicky Fox, associate administrator at Nasa’s Science Mission Directorate.

During the fly-by, the crew documented impact craters, ancient lava flows and surface fractures, providing valuable data for scientists studying the Moon’s geological history.

They also observed variations in colour, brightness and texture across the lunar surface, as well as witnessing both an earthset and earthrise.

The astronauts captured detailed views of the Sun’s corona during the eclipse and reported seeing six meteoroid impacts on the Moon’s darkened surface.