NASA’s Artemis II We Choose the Moon’: Artemis II Crew Leaves Earth Orbit After Successful Engine Burn

NASA’s Artemis II Crew Commits to Moon Trajectory After Critical Burn Sends Orion into Deep Space

In a historic milestone for human spaceflight, NASA’s Artemis II crew successfully executed the critical translunar injection (TLI) burn on April 2, 2026, committing the Orion spacecraft to a free-return trajectory around the Moon. Just one day after launching aboard the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 1, the four astronauts—Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen—fired Orion’s main engine for approximately five minutes and 50 seconds, propelling the capsule out of Earth orbit and into deep space.

The burn, which generated 6,000 pounds of thrust and increased the spacecraft’s velocity by about 1,274 feet per second, marked the point of no return for the mission. NASA officials described it as “flawless,” with Mission Control confirming Orion, nicknamed “Integrity” by the crew, is now on a path that will loop around the lunar far side before gravity naturally guides it back to Earth. “With this burn to the moon, we do not leave Earth,” Koch radioed from the capsule. “We choose it.”

Artemis II is the first crewed flight of NASA’s Orion spacecraft and the first time humans have ventured beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972. The 10-day mission tests critical systems—including life support, navigation, and the heat shield—that will pave the way for Artemis III, the planned crewed lunar landing. Unlike future missions that will orbit the Moon or land, Artemis II follows a “free-return” trajectory similar to Apollo 13, relying on lunar and Earth gravity for the return journey without additional major propulsion.

The crew, a diverse international team, represents the next generation of lunar explorers. Wiseman, a U.S. Navy test pilot and veteran of a 165-day International Space Station mission, commands the flight. Glover, the first Black astronaut to pilot a spacecraft, brings experience from the Crew-1 Dragon mission. Koch holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman (328 days on the ISS) and is the first woman to fly beyond low Earth orbit. Hansen, a Royal Canadian Air Force fighter pilot and physicist, becomes the first Canadian and the first non-American to travel this far into space.

Following launch at 6:35 p.m. EDT on April 1, the astronauts spent their first full day in a high Earth orbit, conducting systems checks, practicing manual piloting, and preparing for the TLI. Earlier smaller burns raised Orion’s perigee, setting the stage for the main maneuver at 7:49 p.m. EDT on April 2. Mission managers polled “Go” after confirming all systems were nominal.

Over the next several days, the crew will monitor spacecraft performance while coasting toward the Moon. Orion is expected to reach the lunar vicinity around April 6 (Flight Day 6), passing within about 4,000 miles of the lunar far side—the closest approach—before swinging back toward Earth. The mission will push humans farther from Earth than ever before, potentially surpassing the Apollo 13 record of roughly 248,655 miles. Splashdown in the Pacific Ocean is targeted for around April 10 or 11.

This burn and the overall mission underscore NASA’s Artemis program goal: establishing a sustainable human presence on the Moon as a stepping stone to Mars. Artemis II gathers vital data on deep-space radiation, thermal extremes, and re-entry stresses that no uncrewed test could fully replicate. “From this point forward, the laws of orbital mechanics are going to carry our crew to the moon, around the far side, and back to Earth,” said Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator for NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate.

The successful TLI has energized the global space community. Live views from Orion’s cameras showed Earth shrinking in the distance as the crew accelerated into the void. With no major anomalies reported, the mission is proceeding smoothly, proving Orion’s readiness for crewed lunar exploration.

As Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen hurtle toward the Moon at thousands of miles per hour, they carry the hopes of a new era of spaceflight. Artemis II is not just a test flight—it is humanity’s deliberate step back to the Moon and beyond. For more details, visit NASA’s official Artemis II page: https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/. Real-time updates are also available via NASA’s mission blog and live streams.

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