The Orion spacecraft, carrying four astronauts as part of the Artemis 2 mission to the Moon, has left Earth’s orbit and is heading toward the Moon.
This is a key stage of the mission, as the spacecraft’s return to Earth becomes significantly more difficult after this point.
“Humanity has once again shown what it is capable of,” said Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. “Your hopes for the future fuel our journey to the Moon.”
After a while, the crew members reported that they had an exceptionally beautiful view of the Earth’s shadow side, after which they went to lunch.
During a press conference, NASA representatives noted the flawless performance of the engine impulse.
“This is the first time since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972 that humans have left Earth’s orbit,” NASA spokesman Lori Glaze told reporters.
Later, the crew held their first space press conference, answering questions from American television channels.
Before the boost, Orion had again approached Earth; at the time of acceleration, it was at an altitude of about 185 km.
The four astronauts, three Americans and one Canadian, will become the first people in history to see the dark side of the Moon with their own eyes.
Then they will begin the return journey to Earth, taking advantage of the Moon’s natural gravity. Thus, the boost provided both a trip to the Moon and a return to Earth.
The landing is scheduled for 10 days after launch.
