Artemis II Crew Finds Hidden Easter Eggs Aboard Spacecraft as They Approach Lunar Flyby

The four astronauts aboard NASA's Artemis II mission celebrated Easter Sunday in style, discovering hidden eggs tucked away inside their Orion spacecraft as they continued their historic journey toward the moon.

The crew, consisting of NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, shared warm Easter messages with Earth while preparing for a landmark event — a close pass behind the far side of the moon scheduled for Monday.

The festive tradition added a lighthearted moment to what is otherwise a meticulously planned and high-stakes mission. The hidden eggs reportedly surprised the crew, bringing smiles and laughter during a journey that represents the first time humans have ventured to lunar distance in more than 50 years.

In their messages to Earth, the astronauts expressed gratitude for the public support they have received and reflected on the significance of their mission. The Artemis II flight is the first crewed test of NASA's Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System, designed to pave the way for a future lunar landing under the Artemis program.

Monday's lunar flyby marks a critical milestone. The spacecraft is expected to swing around the far side of the moon, briefly cutting off all communications with mission controllers in Houston — a tense but anticipated blackout period that engineers have prepared for extensively.

The mission is seen as a crucial stepping stone toward NASA's broader goal of returning humans to the lunar surface for the first time since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972, with a crewed landing targeted for later in the decade.