NASA's Artemis II mission successfully launched from Florida's Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday evening, marking humanity's first lunar voyage with astronauts since the Apollo 17 mission in December 1972. The crew consists of NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
Key Takeaways
NASA's Artemis II mission successfully launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, marking humanity's first lunar voyage with astronauts since 1972. The crew consists of NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
- Artemis II is the first crewed lunar mission since Apollo 17 in 1972
- The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket generated 8.8 million pounds of thrust to launch Orion into orbit
- Crew performed a trans-lunar injection burn, setting course for a lunar flyby on Monday
- Orion spacecraft is moonbound at a speed of 4,084 mph and 93,000 miles away from Earth as of Friday morning
The launch was powered by the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, which generated 8.8 million pounds of thrust to lift the Orion spacecraft into orbit. This outclassed NASA's Saturn V rocket used for Apollo lunar missions. The crew performed a trans-lunar injection burn on Thursday evening, setting the capsule on course for a lunar flyby scheduled for Monday.
As of Friday morning, the Orion spacecraft was moonbound at a speed of 4,084 mph and approximately 93,000 miles away from Earth. The spacecraft is expected to fly by the far side of the moon at an altitude between 3,000 and 9,000 miles during its lunar flyby.
The crew described their experience aboard the Orion spacecraft in interviews with media outlets. Christina Koch mentioned that in zero gravity, there is no difference between up and down, making it comfortable to sleep in any position. Victor Glover expressed his surprise when they received the 'go for launch' command. Commander Reid Wiseman emphasized the significance of Artemis II as an unprecedented technical accomplishment and a milestone in human space exploration.
Artemis II follows the uncrewed Artemis I test flight and marks a major step towards future missions, including Artemis III, which is expected to involve a lunar lander from SpaceX or Blue Origin. The mission signifies NASA's commitment to advancing lunar exploration and paving the way for future crewed missions.
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