"The Artemis II crew launched Wednesday atop NASA's SLS rocket, which left thick trails of vapor across a clear-blue Florida sky. The historic mission will take them on a 230,000-mile journey around the lunar body and back that will serve as a critical test flight of the Orion spacecraft."
"The trajectory of the mission is on a flight path that keeps the spacecraft in Earth's gravitational influence past the moon, then falls back to the planet for splashdown. This path, called a free return trajectory, uses less fuel and is less risky than entering a lunar orbit."
"When they pass by the far side of the moon, it'll look like a basketball held at arm's length. It'll be that kind of view."
"Just hours after entering high-Earth orbit, the crew performed tests on the Orion spacecraft closer to home before heading to the moon."
The Artemis II mission marks the first human journey to the moon in over 50 years, with astronauts launching from Kennedy Space Center. The crew, consisting of NASA astronauts and a Canadian astronaut, will embark on a 230,000-mile journey around the moon. This nearly 10-day mission will test the Orion spacecraft's life-support systems and maneuverability while conducting critical science for future lunar missions. The mission follows a free return trajectory, ensuring safety and fuel efficiency during the journey.
Read at www.npr.org
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