Astronauts aboard the Artemis II mission have officially set course for the Moon after a successful engine burn propelled their Orion spacecraft out of Earth’s orbit, marking a historic return to deep space travel.
The translunar injection burn occurred about 25 hours after liftoff, sending three American astronauts and one Canadian on a trajectory toward a lunar flyby expected early next week, nearly 250,000 miles from Earth.
Officials at NASA confirmed the manoeuvre was executed flawlessly, with the spacecraft performing exactly as planned during this critical phase of the mission.
Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen described the moment as unforgettable, saying the crew watched in awe as Earth faded into the distance, witnessing what he called “phenomenal” views from the capsule.
The milestone marks the first time humans have left Earth’s orbit since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972, signaling a major step forward in NASA’s plan to return astronauts to the Moon and advance future missions to Mars.
Swifteradio.com