# Back to the Moon! Artemis program follow along (it's finally happening!) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 27, 2022, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432 "2022-08-27T12:25:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 40
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/782 "2026-04-07T00:58:29Z")
Yeah, they need to dolly back a couple of hundred thousand miles for a good eclipse view. Then they’d be **much** further than anyone has been from the Earth. I like that they finally determined the twinkling UFO was Venus. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/783 "2026-04-07T01:04:32Z")
They’ve spotted three meteor impacts. A satellite systematically talking sequences of photos of the surface wouldn’t have spotted that. They’re also describing the Earth’s glow illuminating the lunar surface but say it is extremely challenging to expose correctly on their cameras but I’m sure they’ll pull something out. The human eye is far more powerful than any camera within the visible spectrum. The astronauts will see things that cameras cannot pick up, hence Mission Control are asking the astronauts to sketch any details the cameras can’t pick up. ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/784 "2026-04-07T01:08:59Z")
> [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > pull something out As the woman just said to one of those onboard, any pics of Earthshine would be so appreciated. This visualization isn’t even as good as Cronkite holding up a model Apollo capsule around a basketball sized Moon. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/785 "2026-04-07T01:10:54Z")
If you’re talking about the live stream, that is actually a 4k camera streaming with very limited bandwidth from 250,000 miles away. We’ll have to wait to see the full res later. ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/786 "2026-04-07T01:14:33Z")
I’m just seeing a static visualization on NASA TV on Youtube. A 4K camera - heck a series of faxes - would be better. Surely they have cameras that could practically handle pointing at the Sun (which one Apollo Astronaut did). I want to say Buzz, yet I believe it was the first **color** camera instantly fried on the Moon. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/787 "2026-04-07T01:21:10Z")
Al Bean - Apollo 12. ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/788 "2026-04-07T01:31:31Z")
Thanks. Now I see a liquid light show as the eclipse is over. It would be great if they caught a prominence on a hi-def camera. ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/789 "2026-04-07T02:03:42Z")
It’s kind of cool seeing the miles from Earth tick down. They’re going to need to slow down quite a bit more than 980 MPH and looks like they already are. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/790 "2026-04-07T02:32:46Z")
> [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > They’ve spotted three meteor impacts. Color me skeptical about that. I know that has what has been reported: > That included detecting impacts of small meteoroids on the lunar surface. “We have seen three impact flashes so far,” Wiseman said while the spacecraft was still monitoring the eclipse, with another spotted moments later. > **[Artemis 2 swings around the moon](https://spacenews.com/artemis-2-swings-around-the-moon/)** > > Four astronauts from the United States and Canada became the humans to travel the furthest from the Earth April 6 as they went around the moon on Artemis 2. But that seems like a high rate. I’m wondering, was each “impact” seen by more than one person? Seen over how long a time? What is the minum size of impactor to cause a visible flash at their distance and the level of “night vision” in a lighted interior of the ship? For alternate explanations, I’m thinking of cosmic rays. > **[Cosmic ray visual phenomena](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_ray_visual_phenomena)** > > Cosmic ray visual phenomena, or light flashes (LF), also known as Astronaut's Eye, are spontaneous flashes of light visually perceived by some astronauts outside the magnetosphere of the Earth, such as during the Apollo program. While LF may be the result of actual photons of visible light being sensed by the retina, the LF discussed here could also pertain to phosphenes, which are sensations of light produced by the activation of neurons along the visual pathway. > Researchers believe that the ... ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/791 "2026-04-07T05:50:48Z")
After a very hectic day, I see from the activity schedule that the crew is scheduled (in about half an hour) for an extra-long sleep period of 9.5 hours. Then tomorrow, I believe for the first time in the mission, they have a 2.5 hour period labeled as “off duty”. > [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > What is the minum size of impactor to cause a visible flash at their distance and the level of “night vision” in a lighted interior of the ship? The spacecraft had the lights out for most of the observations. > [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > For alternate explanations, I’m thinking of cosmic rays. I’m sure there’s a tremendous difference between the sensation of a random light flash caused by some neurological effect versus the observation of a pinpoint flash of light on the surface of the moon. I agree that three impacts in a short period seems like a lot, but I have no reason to doubt them. ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/792 "2026-04-07T11:40:45Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Because electronics don’t create the sheer physical muscle needed to actually get tonnage to the Moon. Right. I don’t think most people have any intuitive understanding of the vast amount of energy it takes to get something out of the Earth’s gravity well. It’s not something like an airplane only a bit more powerful - it’s a whole different realm. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/793 "2026-04-07T15:13:44Z")
Why do they keep having trouble with the toilet? Does the ISS toilet break down like this? How are yhe toilets different? ---
**Author:** ![Section\_Maker\_Jupe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/section_maker_jupe/32/1424_2.png) [@Section\_Maker\_Jupe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Section_Maker_Jupe)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/794 "2026-04-07T15:15:50Z")
They forgot how cold it is in space, so lines froze and blocked part of the system, is what I heard. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/795 "2026-04-07T15:24:00Z")
“Tell me this is not a government contract” strikes again, if so. It would mean someone got so focused on _cooling_ the equipment that they overlooked not-freezing as its complement. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/796 "2026-04-07T16:04:31Z")
> [@Section\_Maker\_Jupe](#): > > They forgot how cold it is in space, so lines froze and blocked part of the system, “Poop is a dish best served cold. It is very cold in space.” They should have hired an engineer from Minnesota. They know from frozen pipes. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/797 "2026-04-07T16:19:33Z")
[![](https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/art002e009288orig.jpg) ](https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/art002e009288orig.jpg) [![](https://images-assets.nasa.gov/image/art002e009301/art002e009301~large.jpg) ](https://images-assets.nasa.gov/image/art002e009301/art002e009301~large.jpg) [![](https://images-assets.nasa.gov/image/art002e009281/art002e009281~large.jpg) ](https://images-assets.nasa.gov/image/art002e009281/art002e009281~large.jpg) 😍 ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/798 "2026-04-07T16:34:29Z")
Beautiful photos, thank you! Every time I hear about the toilet, all I can think of is Howard Wolowitz (of “The Big Bang Theory”) and the space toilet that he designed and built. It didn’t work so well either. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/799 "2026-04-07T16:39:11Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > Every time I hear about the toilet, all I can think of is Howard Wolowitz (of “The Big Bang Theory”) and the space toilet that he designed and built. It didn’t work so well either. Same here. I keep commenting to my wife, “they’re using Wolowitz’s space toilet, aren’t they?” ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/800 "2026-04-07T16:48:07Z")
I heard the issue with the toilet was that the liquid was freezing in unpredictable ways. If the liquid was pure water everything would have been okay, but the liquid is not pure water - and they were obviously too squeamish to test it with actual urine. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/801 "2026-04-07T16:49:32Z")
So would just adding some sort of heating device in the vicinity of the toilet be enough? The piping only needs to be somewhat above freezing, doesn’t need to be “warm.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432.md?page=39) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432.md?page=41)