'Welcome home, Artemis': Crew celebrates historic 10-day moon mission

The Artemis II mission crew awoke Monday to a message from former astronaut Jim Lovell. Though perhaps best known as the commander of Apollo 13, Lovell also was the command module pilot of Apollo 8, which in December 1968 became the first crewed spaceflight to reach and orbit the moon.

"Welcome to my old neighborhood," Lovell begins the message. "When Frank Borman and Bill Anders and I orbited the moon on Apollo 8, we got humanity's first up-close look of the moon and got a view of the home planet that inspired and united people around the world."

"I'm proud to pass that torch on to you as you swing around the moon and lay the groundwork" for future missions, Lovell said.

"It's a historic day, and how busy you'll be. But don't forget to enjoy the view," the message concludes. "Good luck and Godspeed from all of us here on the good Earth."

Apollo 8, which launched Dec. 21, 1968, famously took the historic photograph of the first Earthrise over the lunar surface as seen by humans.

Lovell recorded his message to the Artemis II crew shortly before his death on Aug. 7, 2025, at age 97.

The Artemis II mission crew is awake and preparing for today's historic lunar flyby.

NASA reported the crew wake-up at around 10:35 a.m. ET.

“Morning routine: Wake up, shave, make the bed, witness something that's never before been seen by human eyes," NASA said. "The Artemis II crew is preparing for today's lunar flyby, when they will see the Moon's far side.”

The lunar flyby is scheduled to commence at 2:45 p.m. ET today, according to NASA.

-ABC News' Briana Alvarado

On Monday afternoon, the Artemis II crew is expected to surpass the distance record set during Apollo 13, traveling farther from Earth than any humans before them.

Later that evening, Orion will reach its maximum distance of 252,760 miles away, 4,105 miles farther than Apollo 13.

NASA has released a timeline of key moments during the flyby, as the world watches this next chapter of human spaceflight unfold.

-ABC News' Briana Alvarado

The Artemis II mission is now less than a day away from entering the pivotal lunar flyby part of the journey.

After days of travel, NASA leaders provided an update on Artemis II’s progress, along with new insight into what astronauts will be observing on the moon and beyond during Monday’s lunar flyby.

According to NASA flight director Rick Henfling, Orion is on an exceptionally precise trajectory toward the moon, which led to the cancellation of its first two planned course-correction burns.

“We found that Orion was on such a pinpoint trajectory that we didn't need to do the first two correction maneuvers,” Henfling said during Sunday’s news conference.

A third adjustment is still scheduled for Sunday at 11:03 p.m. ET. It is expected to be a brief, 14-second firing designed to keep the spacecraft perfectly aligned ahead of the flyby.

Just hours later, around 12:40 a.m. ET Monday, Orion will officially cross over into the lunar sphere of influence. This is the point where the moon’s gravity takes over from Earth’s. From there, the crew will begin a carefully choreographed sequence of observations as they pass by the lunar surface.

-ABC News' Briana Alvarado