For the first time since 1972, astronauts are on their way into deep space as part of NASA’s Artemis II mission.
The mission sees the Orion spacecraft carrying four astronauts to the moon, where they will orbit it, gathering data for future Artemis missions that will see humans touch down on the moon’s surface once again.
But unlike in 1972, you don’t have to be a space agency to track the latest lunar mission. NASA has an interactive online tool that lets you see where the Orion spacecraft is and follow it as it performs its maneuvers through space. Here’s what you need to know.
NASA has launched a site called the Artemis Real-time Orbit Website, which offers an interactive space map that lets you track the Orion spacecraft in real time.
The tool shows three bodies: that of the Earth, the Moon, and the Orion spacecraft, and tracks where they are in relation to each other.
It also visualizes the complete path the Orion is scheduled to follow on its 10-day mission.
You can think of NASA’s Artemis Real-time Orbit Website as Google Maps in space. It offers tools to zoom in and out on any of the three heavenly bodies, and you can click and hold to drag the map’s axis.
