"The most crucial of these was the translunar injection (TLI) burn, which occurred at 7:49 P.M. EDT and lasted for about five minutes and 50 seconds, accelerating the spacecraft to 22,670 miles per hour."
"This fuel burn sets Orion on a path around the moon called a free return trajectory, which essentially means the spacecraft will enter the moon's gravitational influence and will swing around its far side."
"At a post-TLI press conference, Lori Glaze stated that the burn appeared successful and that from this point forward, the laws of orbital mechanics are going to carry our crew to the moon."
"The astronauts also tried out the space capsule's flywheel exercise machine, with Wiseman noting it was a great cardio drill, although he developed a slight static charge."
Artemis II, NASA's first crewed mission to the moon since Apollo 17, is progressing well. The Orion spacecraft is 88,000 miles from Earth and 170,000 miles from the moon, traveling at 4,260 miles per hour. The astronauts performed maneuvers to leave Earth's orbit, including a crucial translunar injection burn that accelerated the spacecraft to 22,670 miles per hour. This burn sets Orion on a free return trajectory around the moon, with a planned return to Earth on April 10. The astronauts also tested the capsule's exercise equipment during the mission.
Read at www.scientificamerican.com
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