The Artemis II mission successfully continued its lunar flyby path, passing the halfway point between the Earth and the Moon , NASA has said. Artemis II astronauts are the first to fly towards the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972 . They will not land, as their mission is a test of the capsule itself and the first steps of NASA's planned landing in 2028. The agency hopes to eventually establish a base on the moon. MIssion control in Houston held a call with the four astronauts on board the Orion