Artemis II astronauts rocket toward the moon after spending a day around Earth
Summary
NASA's Artemis II astronauts have ignited their engines to leave Earth orbit and head toward the moon, marking humanity's first lunar journey since Apollo 17 in 1972. The crew will perform a lunar flyby before returning to Earth, breaking distance and speed records.
Key Points
- NASA's Artemis II astronauts fired their engines to leave Earth's orbit and head toward the moon.
- The mission marks the first time humans have left Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972.
- The crew will fly around the moon and return to Earth without landing, breaking Apollo 13's distance record.
- Astronauts include the first Black person, first woman, and first non-U.S. citizen to launch to the moon.
