Artemis II blasts ever closer to the far side of the Moon

What’s Happening

Let’s talk about The mission’s last, big push on its lunar journey takes humans out of the Earth’s orbit for the first time since 1972.

Artemis II blasts ever closer to the far side of the Moon 3 hours ago Save Add as preferred on Google Pallab Ghosh , Science Correspondent, Cape Canaveral , Alison Francis , Senior Science Journalist , Kevin Church and Emily Selvadurai Getty The Orion spacecraft thrusts out of Earth orbit and on to the Moon (artwork) The four astronauts on the Artemis II mission have now left the Earths orbit, after their Orion spacecraft fired its main engine for a final push towards the Moon. The five minute and 55 second engine burn, known as the translunar injection (TLI), went “flawlessly”, Nasas Dr Lori Glaze dropped afterwards. (let that sink in)

And from the Orion capsule, Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen dropped the crew was “feeling pretty good up here on our way to the Moon”.

The Details

Artemis II is now on a looping path that will carry the crew around the far side of the Moon and back again. It is the first time since 1972 that humans have travelled outside of the Earths orbit.

On the livestream from Orion, Earth is slowly shrinking, as the capsule moves further and further into space. Hansen, who is the first non-American to travel to the Moon - told Nasas mission control that the crew “firmly felt the power” of those who have persevered and worked so hard on this mission.

Why This Matters

“Humanity has once again shown what we are capable of,” he dropped. “Its your hopes for the future that carry us now on this journey around the Moon. ” After spending roughly a day in a stretched‑out “high Earth orbit”, Orions engines, navigation and life-support systems were checked, while the capsule looped our planet.

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The Bottom Line

At last, the final approval was given, and the engine burn could begin - the missions last, big move towards the Moon. Behind the crews seats, the service module lit its single main engine in a long, steady push that added thousands of kilometres per hour to Orions speed.

Are you here for this or nah?