NASA's American Manned Lunar Spacecraft 'Orion' Successfully Launched into Earth's Orbit
The manned spacecraft Orion, carrying four astronauts, has successfully entered Earth's orbit as part of the Artemis II mission, according to NASA. This significant event was announced following the launch that took place on Wednesday, Eastern Time, on its way to the Moon.
The manned spacecraft Orion, which is carrying four astronauts, has successfully been launched into Earth's orbit as part of the Artemis II mission. This important event was announced by NASA, which highlighted that the launch occurred on Wednesday, Eastern Time, as the spacecraft embarks on its journey to the Moon.
The launch of the spacecraft was executed using the powerful Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, which lifted off from Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center located on Cape Canaveral, Florida. The launch took place at 6:35 PM Eastern Time, which corresponds to 1:35 AM Thursday in Kyiv time.
Just eight minutes after liftoff, the SLS rocket successfully placed the Orion spacecraft into a low Earth orbit. Following the separation of the core stage of the rocket and the side boosters, the upper stage of the rocket will send the spacecraft into a stable high elliptical orbit, reaching an apogee of 74,000 kilometers from Earth. During the 25-hour flight, Orion will complete a full orbit around our planet.
Once in orbit, the spacecraft will activate its own engines, which will increase its speed to approximately 11 kilometers per second, allowing it to change its trajectory towards the Moon. Five days after the launch, Orion will make its closest approach to the Moon, marking a significant milestone in the mission.
As part of the Artemis II mission, the Orion spacecraft, crewed by NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, will perform a flyby around the Moon. The spacecraft is expected to fly within 7,500 kilometers of the lunar surface before returning to Earth, landing in the waters of the Pacific Ocean. The total duration of the flight will be ten days.
This mission is a continuation of the previous Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon. The first test launch of the SLS rocket with the Orion spacecraft in an uncrewed mode took place in November 2022 as part of the Artemis I mission, marking a crucial step in preparations for crewed flights.