Florida [US], April 3 (ANI): The crew of NASA’s Artemis II mission has successfully cleared Earth’s orbit and is now on course toward the Moon, marking a major milestone in humanity’s return to deep space exploration.
According to NASA, the Orion spacecraft performed a critical translunar injection burn, firing its main engine for nearly six minutes to propel the crew beyond Earth’s gravitational pull and set them on a precise trajectory for a lunar flyby. The manoeuvre generated approximately 6,000 pounds of thrust, placing the spacecraft on course toward Earth’s nearest celestial neighbour.
NASA confirmed that mission management unanimously gave a “Go” for the burn, which lasted five minutes and 49 seconds. The successful execution of this manoeuvre officially puts the astronauts on track to travel around the Moon for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972.
In a statement, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman called the milestone a defining moment, saying the Artemis II crew is “officially on the way to the Moon” and highlighting that the United States is once again sending astronauts into deep space.
The Artemis II crew includes astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen. The team began their first full day in space with routine mission activities, including system checks and exercise sessions designed to maintain physical fitness in microgravity.
The Orion spacecraft’s powerful service module engine ensured the precise acceleration required for the journey. The upcoming lunar flyby will serve as a key test of systems needed for future missions, including planned lunar landings under NASA’s Artemis program.
The mission launched earlier from Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center aboard the Space Launch System rocket, marking the first crewed lunar mission in more than five decades.
Following the lunar flyby, the roughly 10-day mission is expected to conclude with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
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