Slug: Lunar Journey Begins
CAPE CANAVERAL
History was created as the brave crew of NASA’s Artemis II mission officially left Earth’s orbit, charting a bold course toward the Moon. This milestone represents humanity’s first journey into deep space since the Apollo 17 mission decades ago. Everyone at mission control cheered as the Orion spacecraft successfully performed a critical engine burn that pushed the team past the reach of Earth’s gravity.
The maneuver, known as a translunar injection, lasted nearly six minutes. It generated 6,000 pounds of thrust, perfectly placing the spacecraft on its lunar path. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman spoke with pride, noting that America is officially back in the business of sending humans to the Moon—and this time, they are going farther than ever before.
On board are astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency. Their first full day in space was busy with routine checks and exercise to stay fit in zero gravity. The mission launched from the Kennedy Space Center on the massive Space Launch System rocket and is expected to last about ten days.
During this journey, the crew will fly around the Moon to test vital systems required for future landings. This mission is a major test run for NASA’s broader Artemis program, which aims to establish a long-term human presence on the lunar surface. Once the flyby is complete, the astronauts will head home for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, signaling a new era of space exploration.
