The Artemis II spacecraft had completed the engine burn and the spacecraft had left Earth’s orbit, as NASA shares a message from Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen onboard
NASA revealed Thursday that the Artemis II spacecraft had completed the engine burn and the spacecraft had left Earth’s orbit.
The four astronauts inside the Orion capsule are on humanity’s first Moon mission in more than five decades. Nasa deputy associate administrator Lori Glaze told a news conference: “Ladies and gentlemen, I am so, so excited to be able to tell you that for the first time since 1972 during Apollo 17, human beings have left Earth orbit.” She said the engine firing had gone without a hitch.
The four astronauts on the Artemis II mission, which launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida on Wednesday evening, spent the first 25 hours of the flight circling the Earth.
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Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen said the crew, which also includes Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover and Christina Koch, had been glued to the windows to see the “phenomenal” view. He said: “Humanity has once again shown what we are capable of, and it’s your hopes for the future that carry us now on this journey around the moon.”
When Pilot Victor Glover asked for his message to those back on Earth, he says: “Trust us, you look amazing, you look beautiful, and from up here you look like one thing.
“Homosapiens are all of us; no matter where you’re from or what you look like, we’re all one people.” This shows what we can do not just when we put our differences aside but when we put our differences together.”
Nasa said the firing puts the crew “in a free return trajectory”, enabling them to use the Moon’s gravity for the return journey.
Taking to X just after 1am UK time NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said: “Nominal translunar injection burn complete. The Artemis II crew is officially on the way to the Moon. America is back in the business of sending astronauts to the Moon. This time, farther than ever before.”
At arouind 3.30am UK time he added: “Our four astronauts aboard Orion said it was a great ride during launch. Artemis II is on its way to the Moon. This mission is critical in setting us up for success for our next missions — Artemis III, Artemis IV, and beyond.”
He shared a clip of his interview with Fox News, which he concluded with: “We’re getting good feedback from the astronauts.”
Nasa said Orion’s main engine, which burned for five minutes and 50 seconds, provides up to 6,000lb of thrust – enough to accelerate a car from 0 to 60 mph in about 2.7 seconds. Orion will head around 4,000 miles beyond the moon with a lunar flyby on Monday the next major milestone which will send the crew some 252,000 miles (406,000 kilometres) into space before returning to Earth.
The current record for the furthest spaceflight is about 248,000 miles, held by members of the Apollo 13 lunar mission in 1970, which was hit by technical problems.
While the astronauts will not touch down on the Moon, the Artemis II mission paves the way for a future lunar landing and also lays the foundation to send a crew to Mars. The mission previously had to be postponed by two months because of hydrogen fuel leaks and clogged helium lines.
Nasa is seeking to return a crew to the lunar surface by 2028, before China does in about 2030.
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