Artemis II hours away from entering deep space and heading towards the moon
April 2, 2026
Sky News Australia
After a successful lift off yesterday, the crew onboard Artemis Two is now making final checks onboard the Orion spacecraft. They are expected to fire their main engine and head towards the moon in the next few hours. The crew blasted off from Florida, performing safety system checks in a low Earth orbit. After a brief rest period, the crew was woken up to monitor the spacecraft through the critical burn during which the propulsion system pushed them past the Earth's orbit.
The Orion capsule has now separated and is performing a final near-earth orbit before the Trans-lunar injection burn. That will set them on a four-day trip to the moon. After five days in space, Orion swings behind the moon, temporarily blocking communication with Earth. The Crew will then use the Moon's Gravity to help them slingshot back towards Earth, where they will splash down in the Pacific Ocean. NASA remains optimistic about the chance of a mission success.
Sky News Australia
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