Artemis II Successfully Departs Earth’s Orbit, Embarks on Lunar Mission

WASHINGTON — Astronauts from NASA’s latest lunar mission have successfully exited Earth’s orbit, embarking on their journey to the Moon.

On Thursday night, the Artemis II crew ignited their engines, propelling themselves toward the Moon. This crucial maneuver, known as translunar injection, occurred 25 hours post-launch, positioning the three American and one Canadian astronauts for a lunar flyby expected early next week.

The Orion spacecraft engaged its primary engine for nearly six minutes, delivering approximately 6,000 pounds of thrust. This force is akin to accelerating a car from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.7 seconds, enabling the spacecraft to break free from Earth’s orbit and head towards its lunar target, nearly 250,000 miles (400,000 kilometers) away.

This engine burn marks the first of its kind for a crewed mission since the Apollo era concluded with Apollo 17 on December 7, 1972. According to NASA, initial assessments suggest that the operation was a success.

NASA had the Artemis II crew stick close to home for a day to test their capsule’s life-support systems before clearing them for lunar departure.

Now committed to the moon, the Artemis II test flight is the opening act for NASA’s grand plans for a moon base and sustained lunar living.

Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen will dash past the moon then hang a U-turn and zip straight home without stopping on land. In the process, they will become the farthest humans have ever traveled from Earth, breaking the Apollo 13 distance record set in 1970. They also may become the fastest during their reentry at flight’s end on April 10.

To set the mood, Mission Control’s wake-up music for the crew was “Green Light” by John Legend featuring André 3000. The song segued into the 3-2-1 of the astronauts’ thunderous liftoff, followed by a medley of greetings from NASA teams across the country.

While awaiting their orbital departure, the astronauts savored the views of Earth from tens of thousands of miles high. Mission specialist Christina Koch told Mission Control that they can make out the entire coastlines of continents and even the South Pole, her old stomping ground.

“It is just absolutely phenomenal,” radioed Koch, who spent a year at an Antarctic research station before joining NASA.

Crew members are also having their first exercise sessions on the spacecraft’s flywheel exercise device, a key tool for maintaining strength and fitness during long-duration missions.

Mission Control managed to bump up the Orion capsule’s cabin temperature. It was so cold earlier in the mission — 65 degrees Fahrenheit — that the four astronauts had to dig into suitcases for long-sleeved clothes.

Commanded by Reid Wiseman, the mission is due to end with a Pacific splashdown on April 10. NASA is counting on the test flight to kickstart the entire Artemis program and lead to a moon landing by two astronauts in 2028.

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