<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Now more than halfway to the moon, </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/artemis-ii-launch-nasa-astronauts-first-lunar-trip-in-half-a-century/07b8ff09-07b8-4f32-b7de-661e581f1966" rel="" target="" title=" the Artemis II astronauts"><span>the Artemis II astronauts</span></a><span> prepared for their historic lunar fly-around to push deeper into space than even the Apollo astronauts.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>On the downside, their toilet is on the blink again.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The three </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/usa" rel="" target="" title="Americans "><span>Americans</span></a><span> and one Canadian are set to reach their destination on Monday, photographing the mysterious lunar far side as they zoom around.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/artemis-iis-moonbound-astronauts-capture-earth-photos/758d9c27-dcaa-4654-b429-e2ecf227e391" rel="" target="" title="Artemis II's moonbound astronauts capture Earth's brilliant blue beauty"><strong><span>Artemis II's moonbound astronauts capture Earth's brilliant blue beauty</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It is the first moon-bound crew in more than 53 years, picking up where NASA's Apollo program left off.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The Earth is quite small, and the moon is definitely getting bigger," pilot Victor Glover reported.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Until the Orion capsule's bathroom is fixed, Mission Control has instructed the astronauts to break out more of the backup urine collection bags.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/artemis-ii-moon-mission-nasa-toilet/bfbca175-2724-4f3d-a2a1-9a0f4b3d02b7" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The so-called lunar loo malfunctioned following Wednesday's liftoff and has been hit-and-miss ever since.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A version of the Artemis II toilet was tested on the International Space Station several years ago.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/nsw-motorists-encouraged-to-dob-in-servos-as-93-locations-fined-for-price-gouging/8af78fb3-4803-4deb-a0e9-5cf512633c2c"><strong><span>Motorists encouraged to dob in servos as 93 locations fined for price gouging</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Engineers suspect ice may be blocking the line that is preventing urine from completely flushing overboard. The toilet is still open for No. 2 business.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Debbie Korth, NASA's Orion program deputy manager, said the astronauts have also reported a smell coming from the bathroom, which is buried in the floor of the capsule with a door and curtain for privacy.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Space toilets and bathrooms are something everybody can really understand .. it's always a challenge," she said, noting that the space shuttle toilet was also often on the fritz.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/new-covid-cicada-variant-symptoms-mutation-immunity-evasion-everything-to-know-explained/5ed222f5-664f-4140-974a-039d14f0baf8" rel="" target="" title="COVID-19 strain sweeping the US set to become a 'feature' of Aussie winter wave"><strong><span>COVID-19 strain sweeping the US set to become a 'feature' of Aussie winter wave</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>John Honeycutt, chair of the mission management team, said it is human nature to be interested in the space commode, and even though it is "in a good state right now," he'd like it to be working at 100 per cent.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"They're OK," he said of the astronauts. "They trained to manage through the situation."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Artemis II is poised to set a distance record for humans, traveling more than 400,000 kilometers from Earth before hanging a U-turn behind the moon and heading home without stopping or entering lunar orbit.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The record is currently held by Apollo 13.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Canadian Space Agency celebrated the country's role in the mission, speaking from Quebec with astronaut Jeremy Hansen as he headed toward his lunar rendezvous. Hansen is the first non-US citizen to fly to the moon.</span></div></div><div class="styles__Wrapper-sc-2o34ro-0 cmwkBV"><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><a href="/content/2025/04/04/09/03/today-in-history-april-5-what-happened-on-this-day"><img alt="" sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 636px, (min-width: 768px) 396px, 100vw" src="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/sbO6d0C9JFUuMAy0TuwSpjjzXWQ=/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2Fded54b9c-cf76-44bd-af0f-91d048f991c0" srcset="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/sbO6d0C9JFUuMAy0TuwSpjjzXWQ=/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2Fded54b9c-cf76-44bd-af0f-91d048f991c0 396w, https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/To9_3qmLj9_3gKrOP13c3Xr2BKQ=/636x358/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2Fded54b9c-cf76-44bd-af0f-91d048f991c0 636w"/></a></div><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><div class="styles__Headline-sc-2o34ro-4 hpbOlz">Suspicions raised after skydiver falls 1200m and survives</div><div class="styles__Button-sc-2o34ro-1 eBjlmW"><a class="styles__ButtonLink-sc-2o34ro-2 hqpklJ" href="/content/2025/04/04/09/03/today-in-history-april-5-what-happened-on-this-day">View Gallery</a></div></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Today he is making history for Canada," Canadian Space Agency President Lisa Campbell said. "As we watch him taking this bold step into the unknown, let his journey remind us that Canada's future is written by those who dare to reach for more."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In the live televised linkup, Hansen said he has already witnessed "extraordinary" views from NASA's Orion capsule.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Hansen, Glover, Reid Wiseman and Christina Koch are the world's first lunar astronauts since Apollo 17's crew of three in 1972. Koch and Glover are the first female and first Black astronauts to the moon, respectively.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Their nearly 10-day mission — ending with a Pacific splashdown on April 10 — is the first step in NASA's bold plans for a sustainable moon base.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The space agency is aiming for a landing by two astronauts near the lunar south pole in 2028.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-iran-war-european-ministers-call-for-profit-caps-on-energy-companies-price-surge/07c64e29-acd0-4c05-843b-5c4189d2c4fd"><strong><span>European ministers call for profit caps on energy companies</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div>