Artemis II astronauts rocket toward the moon after circling Earth

Artemis II’s crew moved from Earth-orbit testing to lunar departure Thursday night, with NASA describing the engine firing as the moment the spacecraft broke away from the “chains” that have kept human missions in shallow orbits since Apollo. The translunar burn came about 25 hours after liftoff, and NASA said Orion left Earth on schedule to follow a free-return trajectory toward the moon.

At a news conference, NASA’s Lori Glaze told reporters that the timing and performance met expectations. She said, “Ladies and gentlemen, I am so, so excited to be able to tell you that for the first time since 1972 during Apollo 17, human beings have left Earth orbit,” and added that, in her description, “The engine firing was flawless.”

After the departure burn, Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen said the crew watched the Earth recede from the capsule’s windows and described the view as “phenomenal,” saying they needed to wipe their faces against the glass as they kept looking out. Hansen also connected the moment to what he said the trip represents for future generations, telling reporters, “Humanity has once again shown what we are capable of, and it’s your hopes for the future that carry us now on this journey around the moon.”

NASA had kept the astronauts close to Earth for a day before clearing them for lunar departure so the crew could test the Orion capsule’s life-support systems. Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, flight engineer Christina Koch and Hansen were then set for a flyby in which they would pass the moon, perform a turnaround, and return directly without landing on the surface.

NASA’s briefing materials and crew remarks framed the flight as both a historic restart and a demonstration of long-duration systems. In addition to the Apollo comparisons, the mission was described as building on milestones already achieved by the crew at launch—Glover, Koch and Hansen becoming the first Black person, the first woman, and the first non-U.S. citizen to launch to the moon, respectively.

The mission’s departure day also carried cultural cues and internal celebration. Mission Control woke the crew with John Legend’s “Green Light,” featuring Andre 3000 and a medley of NASA teams cheering. Later, Glover said he told his fellow astronauts, “Trust us, you look amazing. You look beautiful,” and in that interview, described the view from orbit as a reminder that “homo sapiens” are “one people,” no matter where they are from.

As Orion chased the moon, NASA said Mission Control told the astronauts shortly before the critical firing that they were starting “humanity’s lunar homecoming arc” to bring them back to Earth. The capsule uses the gravity of Earth and the moon—described as a free-return lunar trajectory—to complete a round-trip figure-eight loop, and an engine acceleration pushed the spacecraft to more than 24,000 mph (38,000 kph) to move it out of Earth orbit.

The crew’s next major milestone is scheduled for Monday’s lunar flyby. NASA said Orion will pass roughly 4,000 miles (6,400 kilometers) beyond the moon and is expected to deliver illuminated views of the lunar far side “at least for human eyes.” NASA also said the geometry of the trip would expose the astronauts to a total solar eclipse as the moon temporarily blocks the sun from their perspective.

NASA said the flight also required handling unexpected issues encountered earlier. The day’s departure followed a toilet malfunction that showed up as the Artemis crew reached orbit Wednesday evening; Mission Control guided Koch through contingency steps using “contingency urine storage bags.” Mission Control later directed the crew to fill additional empty bags with water from the capsule’s dispenser on Thursday, after a valve issue appeared with the dispenser following liftoff, and NASA said the astronauts used straws and syringes to fill the pouches with more than 2 gallons (7 liters) worth before continuing toward the moon.

NASA is counting on the Artemis II test flight to kickstart the broader Artemis program, with the agency aiming for a moon landing by two astronauts in 2028.