NASA's Artemis II crew, aboard the Orion spacecraft named Integrity, has successfully departed Earth's orbit and is heading toward the Moon after a key engine burn. The astronauts reported no major issues, shared stunning photos of Earth, and spoke with family and media. The mission remains on track for a closest approach to the Moon on Monday and splashdown on April 10.
The Artemis II mission entered its third day on Friday with the four astronauts—commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen—in good spirits. After Thursday's translunar injection burn of Orion's main engine, which provided about 6,000 pounds of thrust, the spacecraft left Earth's orbit for the first time with humans aboard since Apollo 17 in 1972. NASA officials confirmed no corrective burn was needed, as the maneuver was precise. Splashdown is planned for Friday, April 10, in the Pacific Ocean off Southern California, following a flyby of the Moon's far side on April 6, where the crew will take photos and observations. Dr. Lori Glaze from NASA Headquarters said, “Orion is operating with crew for the first time in space, and we are gathering critical data from each step.” Commander Wiseman described seeing “the entire globe from pole to pole” as a “spectacular moment.” The crew shared striking images, including one of Earth's night side captured by Wiseman, featuring two auroras, zodiacal light, and airglow. Koch remarked, “You guys look great,” while Glover told ABC News, “You look amazing, you look beautiful.” NASA posted, “That's us!” alongside one photo. Minor issues included a chilly cabin temperature, adjusted from the mid-70s Fahrenheit by about 10 degrees, slightly low humidity for CO2 scrubbers, a helium system regulator no longer needed with backup operational, and false alarms from conservative environmental sensors. Howard Hu, Orion program manager, noted these as learning opportunities for Artemis III. Earlier setbacks like a fixed toilet issue and Microsoft Outlook glitch on a Surface Pro device were manageable. Lakiesha Hawkins, a NASA senior exploration official, said, “They are in great spirits.” Flight director Judd Frieling confirmed comfortable conditions had been restored.
