Manned mission to Moon fires engines to leave Earth’s orbit

At a press briefing, Lori Glaze, NASA’s deputy associate administrator, shared her excitement: for the first time since Apollo 17 mission, humans have officially traveled beyond Earth’s orbit. She confirmed that the crucial engine burn was completed successfully without any issues.

The four astronauts aboard the Artemis II mission, which lifted off from Cape Canaveral on Wednesday evening, spent their first 25 hours orbiting Earth. The next major step involved firing the engines of the Orion spacecraft—a maneuver known as a translunar injection burn—sending them on a trajectory toward the Moon. They will circle it before heading back home.

Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen said the crew—including Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialist Christina Koch—spent much of their time looking out the windows, taking in what he described as a “phenomenal” view. He added that the mission reflects humanity’s potential and the shared hopes driving this journey around the Moon.

NASA explained that the successful burn placed the spacecraft on a “free-return trajectory,” meaning it will rely on the Moon’s gravity to help guide the crew back to Earth.

NASA administrator Jared Isaacman announced on social media that the maneuver had gone as planned, confirming that the Artemis II crew is now officially en route to the Moon. He emphasized that the United States has resumed sending astronauts toward lunar destinations, reaching farther than before.

The Orion capsule’s main engine fired for 5 minutes and 50 seconds, generating up to 6,000 pounds of thrust—comparable to accelerating a car from 0 to 60 mph in roughly 2.7 seconds.

Onboard, astronauts resolved minor technical issues, including fixing a problem with the toilet, while ground teams adjusted the cabin temperature to improve comfort. Meanwhile, the Goonhilly Earth Station in Cornwall is assisting with tracking the spacecraft’s journey.

Orion is expected to travel about 4,000 miles beyond the Moon. A key milestone will be a lunar flyby scheduled for Monday, taking the crew approximately 252,000 miles (406,000 km) from Earth before they begin their return.

For comparison, the current record for the farthest human spaceflight—around 248,000 miles—was set during the Apollo 13 mission, despite that mission facing serious technical challenges.

Although Artemis II will not include a lunar landing, it is a critical step toward future missions that aim to put astronauts back on the Moon and eventually send humans to Mars.

The mission had previously been delayed by two months due to hydrogen fuel leaks and blocked helium lines. NASA is now targeting a crewed Moon landing by 2028, ahead of similar plans announced by China around 2030.