NASA’s Artemis II: Humans Just Left Earth Orbit for the First Time Since 1972

NASA launched Artemis II on April 1 and the crew departed Earth orbit for the first time since 1972.

Orion performed a six-minute translunar injection burn that set the spacecraft on a Moon-bound trajectory.

Four astronauts aboard—Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen—will fly around the Moon and capture images of the far side.

The mission began with SLS liftoff from Kennedy Space Center and will end with a Pacific splashdown near San Diego.