Prime Highlights
- Artemis II crew completed a successful trajectory-correction burn, keeping the Orion spacecraft on track for its lunar flyby.
- The mission is set to break the human distance record during the Moon flyby, marking a major milestone in space exploration.
Key Facts
- The outbound correction burn was executed at 11:03 p.m. EDT and lasted 17.5 seconds.
- The crew is expected to surpass the distance record set during the Apollo 13 mission.
Background
NASA said its Artemis II crew successfully completed a key trajectory-correction burn as the Orion spacecraft continues its journey toward the Moon, marking steady progress on the mission.
Teams at Mission Control in Houston and the Artemis II crew carried out an outbound correction burn to adjust Orion’s path to the Moon. The engine fired at 11:03 p.m. EDT and ran for 17.5 seconds.
The four-member crew, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen, remains on track to fly past the Moon, with the milestone expected on Monday, April 6.
Earlier in the day, the astronauts completed a major test of the Orion Crew Survival System suit. The crew conducted a full sequence of checks, including pressurizing the suits, performing leak tests, and assessing mobility. The suits are designed to protect astronauts during critical phases of flight and in emergency situations.
NASA said the spacecraft is expected to enter the Moon’s sphere of influence early Monday, when lunar gravity becomes the dominant force guiding Orion. This step will set up the mission’s key event, a flyby of the far side of the Moon.
During the flyby, the crew is expected to break the record for the farthest distance traveled by humans from Earth, surpassing the mark set during the Apollo 13 mission.
Contact is briefly interrupted as Orion passes behind the Moon before the signal is restored as the spacecraft comes back into range.
NASA will stream the flyby live across its official channels and other platforms as the mission reaches one of its biggest moments.
