NASA sends four astronauts into space artemis ii On Wednesday, they set off from the Kennedy Space Center on a historic 10-day journey around the moon. Astronauts are now adjusting to life inside a small spacecraft, sharing how they sleep and work.
Astronaut sleeps like a bat
With only 330 cubic feet of space for four people, they had to get creative to find a place to sleep. Mission Commander Reed Wiseman told abc news Astronauts took only a few short naps during their first 30 hours in space, and that was in some unusual places.
“Christina had been sleeping with her head down in the middle of the vehicle, kind of like a bat hanging over our docking tunnel,” Wiseman said.
“Victor had a nice little nook there. Then Jeremy lay down in seat one and I kept sleeping under the monitor just in case something went wrong.”
Pilot Victor Glover also reportedly shared his experience British Broadcasting Corporation. “It’s funny… but more comfortable than you think. It’s nice to sleep in weightlessness again,” he said.
Also read: What is NASA’s Artemis 2? Everything you need to know about the historic moon landing mission
Problem with space toilet
The launch went smoothly, but the crew did encounter a minor toilet issue early in the mission. Christina Koch was responsible for restoring it.
“I would say the plunger is the most important piece of equipment in space,” Koch said with a laugh, according to the BBC.
“It was a startup issue. Fortunately, all of our systems are working fine.”
After the staff spent a lot of time taking photos, the windows also became dirty and they were told to clean the windows with water and a dry rag.
Despite these hiccups, they also share a powerful moment as they look back on Earth. Wiseman described this in an interview with ABC News.
“About an hour ago, mission control in Houston reoriented our spacecraft as the sun set behind the Earth,” he said.
“I don’t know what we all expected to see at that moment, but you could see the whole planet, from pole to pole. You could see Africa, Europe and if you looked very close you could see the Northern Lights. It was the most spectacular moment and it stopped all four of us in our tracks,” he added.
Also read: NASA’s Artemis 2: Why it took decades to return humans to the moon; experts explain
When will astronauts return to Earth?
NASA’s Artemis 2 crew Expected to return After completing a 10-day journey around the moon, they arrived at Earth on April 10, 2026.
Returning will be one of the most stressful parts of the mission. The Orion spacecraft will re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere at about 25,000 miles per hour (40,000 kilometers per hour), making it the fastest re-entry ever by a manned spacecraft.
Parachutes will then open to slow the capsule before it lands in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego at around 8:06 p.m. ET. A U.S. Navy recovery team will also pick up the astronauts.
