'Cabin leak suspected': Artemis II astronaut reveals how a warning nearly derailed NASA's epic moon mission

During the Artemis II mission, a cabin leak warning nearly derailed a crucial engine burn that would propel the spacecraft toward the moon. If it had occurred five minutes later, the astronauts may have been forced to abort the mission. The incident took place on April 2, the second day of the mission, as the Orion spacecraft returned to Earth after traveling 38,000 miles (61,000 kilometers).

As the spacecraft approached Earth, astronauts sensed they were nearing the surface, creating additional challenges with orbital debris and increased radiation. At this critical moment, the spacecraft issued a cabin leak warning 15 minutes before the TLI burn. The crew and mission control faced a crucial decision: continue the burn to reach the moon or abort the mission and return to Earth.