University of Houston aerospace engineering and space architecture students gathered to watch the final moments of NASA’s Orion mission, and for a few breathless minutes, the room fell completely silent.

After traveling hundreds of thousands of miles around the moon, the four astronauts aboard Artemis II are set to make their return to Earth Friday evening, with a high-stakes splashdown marking the final and most dangerous phase of the mission.

As NASA sends astronauts farther into space than any human has traveled in decades, the most dangerous part of the mission isn’t the launch… or even the trip around the moon.

If you’ve ever wondered what astronauts wake up to while orbiting the moon… it’s not silence, it’s a full-on vibe.

Before astronauts aboard Artemis II ever left Earth, they spent years inside a simulator in Houston preparing for nearly every scenario they could face in space.

New images of the moon from NASA’s Artemis II mission are offering rare, detailed views from deep space, captured using a carefully selected set of cameras aboard the spacecraft.

NASA officials shared new details on the Artemis II mission, highlighting life support limits, technical challenges, and what astronauts may observe during their trip around the Moon.

The new space movie “Project Hail Mary” starring Ryan Gosling is getting rave reviews more than halfway to the moon.

The Artemis II astronauts are more than halfway to the moon.

NASA granted KPRC 2’s Gage Goulding rare access inside Mission Control at Johnson Space Center as the Artemis II crew travels toward the moon, offering a firsthand look at the team responsible for guiding the historic mission.

The Artemis II astronauts have captured Earth's brilliant blue beauty as they zoom ever closer to the moon.

NASA’s Artemis II astronauts have fired their engines and are blazing toward the moon.

Four astronauts have embarked on a high-stakes flight around the moon.

Four astronauts have embarked on a high-stakes flight around the moon, humanity’s first lunar voyage in more than half a century.

Everything seems to be going NASA's way as the countdown proceeds toward a Wednesday launch of astronauts' first trip to the moon in more than half a century.

Four Astronauts, one Mission, 230,000 Miles

NASA's moon rocket is back at the launch pad following hangar repairs.

NASA has cleared its moon rocket for an April launch with four astronauts after completing the latest round of repairs.

NASA is revamping its Artemis moon landing program.

NASA is moving its grounded Artemis moon rocket from the launch pad back to its hangar for more repairs.

NASA plans to roll the Artemis II rocket back to the Vehicle Assembly Building after high winds and cold temperatures halted launch pad work at Kennedy Space Center.

NASA has taken another crack at fueling its giant moon rocket after leaks halted the initial dress rehearsal.

NASA has run into a leak while fueling its new moon rocket in one final make-or-break test before sending astronauts on a lunar fly-around.

NASA has delayed astronauts' upcoming trip to the moon because of near-freezing temperatures expected at the launch site.

NASA has announced more delays in sending astronauts back to the moon more than 50 years after Apollo.

Orion Sun found solace amongst the works of Audre Lorde while working on her self-titled album.

The four astronauts assigned to fly around the moon next year have gotten their first look at their spacecraft.

NASA has named the four astronauts who will fly around the moon late next year.

NASA’s Orion capsule is back from the moon.

WATCH NASA’S LIVE COVERAGE OF ORION’S RETURN TO EARTH

NASA's Orion capsule is on its way home from the moon to wrap up a three-week test flight.

NASA's Orion capsule is now circling the moon in an orbit stretching tens of thousands of miles.

NASA's Orion capsule has reached the moon, whipping around the far side and passing within about 80 miles.

When NASA launched the Artemis I mission early Wednesday morning, it was something people had waited weeks, months, years, and even decades to see happen. The flight is unmanned, but it marks a milestone in the work being done to return humans to the moon for the first time since the Apollo missions.

While many in Houston and across the country were sleeping, NASA made history by successfully launching the Orion capsule into space and to the moon. Here are some of the images captured at Kennedy Space Center.

A space capsule is hurtling toward the moon for the first time in 50 years.

NASA is making another attempt to launch its new moon rocket on its first test flight.

NASA’s moon rocket is back on the pad for another launch attempt, following more repairs.

NASA is preparing for its coveted Artemis I mission, which is expected to launch from the Cape no earlier than August 29 with a two-hour window beginning at 7:33amCT. This historic mission will be the first major step in a series of missions that aim to ultimately put humans back on the moon and then head to Mars.

NASA's new moon rocket makes its debut next week in a high-stakes test flight before astronauts get on top.

NASA's new moon rocket has arrived at the launch pad for its first test flight.

NASA is shooting for a late August launch of its giant, new moon rocket.

NASA says it has finished testing its huge moon rocket.

NASA has fueled its huge moon rocket for the first time and completed a countdown test despite a fuel line leak.

NASA is planning to conduct the Artemis I Wet Dress Rehearsal of the Orion spacecraft to practice what needs to be done prior to its launch date.

The flight debut of NASA's mega moon rocket faces additional delays following a string of failed fueling tests.

NASA's latest attempt to fuel its huge moon rocket for a countdown test has been thwarted by a hazardous hydrogen leak.

Check out some of the things the team has added to the ballpark for families to enjoy this season.

NASA’s dress rehearsal for its mega moon rocket has been postponed twice now by technical problems that stalled a fueling test.

NASA is kicking off a critical countdown test for its new moon rocket.

One of Ohio’s popular amusement parks is hyping the season opener with a coaster full of “happy little friends.”

Mars will appear brighter than at any other point during the year on Oct. 13, when it will be closest to Earth. “So, a little over every two years, Mars and Earth are closest together in their orbits and, thus, Mars is at its brightest in our nighttime sky. (© 2012 Michael Orso)Blue moon on HalloweenFor the first time since 2001, trick-or-treaters will get the chance to experience a Halloween full moon. A blue moon, by the most popular definition, according to Gross, is when two full moons appear in a single month. “We will have full moons on Oct. 1 and 31, so that means that we’ll have a blue moon on Halloween,” Gross said.

Copyright 2020 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved. On this week’s KPRC Pet Project, meet Orion! If you need help with the Public File, call (713) 778-4745.