tech
Artemis II astronauts pass 100,000 miles from Earth on voyage to the moon
After six-minute firing of capsule’s engine, crew on track to reach farthest distance travelled by humans in space
TL;DR
- The Artemis II astronauts have surpassed 100,000 miles from Earth on their journey to the moon.
- The crew performed a 'translunar injection' engine firing to set their trajectory towards the moon.
- The mission aims to send humans farther from Earth than ever before, exceeding 250,000 miles.
- The astronauts will travel beyond the moon, providing views of its far side, before returning to Earth on a 'free return' trajectory.
- This mission marks a series of historic achievements, including the first person of color, the first woman, and the first non-American on a lunar mission.
- The Artemis II mission is the inaugural crewed flight of NASA's lunar rocket, SLS.
- Despite delays and cost overruns, the mission is proceeding with a focus on competition with China's lunar ambitions.
- A minor toilet malfunction was reported but resolved, with the crew using contingency storage bags temporarily.