US EditionArtemis II is officially headed to the moon after test orbit around the Earth
The four astronauts will become the farthest humans from Earth as Orion swings 4,000 miles beyond the Moon and returns on a free-return path.
- On Thursday, April 2, Commander Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Astronaut Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency completed a critical translunar injection burn, committing Artemis II to a lunar trajectory less than 24 hours after launching from Kennedy Space Center, Florida.
- This historic 10-day mission marks the first time humans have left Earth orbit since Apollo in 1972. NASA designed the flight to test life-support systems and orbital procedures, paving the way for crewed lunar landings by 2028.
- Astronauts addressed minor operational challenges early in the flight, fixing a malfunctioning toilet that Koch called "the most important piece of equipment on board" and adjusting the cold cabin temperature. The crew began daily fitness routines on Orion's compact flywheel exercise device.
- Using a free-return trajectory, the spacecraft will harness the Moon's gravity to slingshot around the satellite before returning to Earth without additional propulsion. The crew is scheduled to reach the lunar sphere of influence and conduct a historic flyby on Monday, April 6.
- Scheduled for a return on April 10, the crew will splash down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California, completing the 10-day mission. Results will inform NASA's 2028 lunar landing plans and lay groundwork for future Mars exploration.
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322 Articles
NASA's Artemis 2 mission advances accurately on its journey to Luna. Following the successful translunar injection, the Orion spacecraft has led its crew to become the first humans to leave Earth orbit since the Apollo 17 program in 1972. The trajectory is so accurate that the first planned correction maneuver has been cancelled.Continue reading...
Orion spacecraft set to exit Earth orbit for Moon; Mars plan called ‘political coup’ vs China
by WorldTribune Staff, April 3, 2026 Non-AI Real World News America’s first manned mission to the moon since the 1970s, today sets course to swing within about 4,000 miles of the lunar surface on the far side of the Moon before being propelled back to Earth. In addition to NASA’s earlier announcement of plans to […]
The Orion spacecraft of the Artemis-2 mission left Earth orbit and went to the Moon and reported to NASA.
The four astronauts of the Artemis II mission have left Earth orbit this Friday and have already set course for the Moon. NASA has reported that the Orion spacecraft has successfully completed the key ignition of the main engine after gaining the necessary momentum for the journey into Earth orbit. The human being will fly the Moon again for the first time in more than 50 years. The translunar injection maneuver, the ignition of the engine of th…
Orion spacecraft completes decisive maneuver: ‘The Artemis 2 crew is officially on the way to the Moon’
The true journey of Artemis 2 to the Moon finally began this Thursday at 7:49 p.m. ET, overcoming the most critical moment of this mission with the final roar of the Orion spacecraft’s engines. More than 25 hours had passed since the launch of the largest and most powerful crewed spacecraft in history from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, when the Orion executed the critical translunar injection burn and propelled itself toward its destinati…
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