MIAMI.- NASA authorized this Thursday the Artemis II translunar injectiona key maneuver that will boost the Orion capsule to the Moonresuming manned missions beyond Earth orbit.
Precisely scheduled, the 10-day mission will take astronauts to circle the Moon and mark a historical milestone by reaching the greatest distance achieved by humans.
Orion’s journey to the Moon begins
He start of the journey to the Moon of the Orion capsule It was scheduled for 25 hours after takeoff from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and the next critical step of the mission that provides for the return of humans to lunar orbit more than half a century later.
Today, the management team gave the go-ahead for the translunar injection maneuver that will propel the astronauts out of Earth orbit and towards the Moon for the first time since 1972.
According to NASA, the maneuver is scheduled for 19:49 US Eastern Time (23:49 GMT) and will last 5 minutes and 49 seconds.
Orion’s main engine provides up to 2.7 tons of thrustenough to accelerate a car from 0 to 97 kilometers per hour in 2.7 seconds, NASA detailed.
To begin the journey towards the natural satellite, the spacecraft will experience a speed change of 388 meters per second which will allow it to leave Earth’s orbit.
Constant surveillance of the Orion ship
“Flight controllers will closely monitor engine performance, guidance and navigation data throughout the maneuver to ensure Orion remains precisely aligned for the ride one way,” NASA clarified.
The spaceship took off yesterday at 18:35 Eastern Time (22:35 GMT) and currently It is located in high Earth orbiton its path around the Earth.
Artemis II aims to send astronauts into lunar orbit for the first time since the crew of Apollo 17 They abandoned the satellite in 1972.
How long will the Artemis II Mission last?
The duration of the mission is 10 days and it foresees that the ship pass by the far side of the Moon on April 6 at a distance of more than 400,000 kilometers from Earth, which will make it the furthest manned mission in history.
The crew is made up of the commander Reid Wisemanthe specialist Christina Koch and the pilot Victor Gloverall three from NASA, as well as by Jeremy Hansenfrom the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).
The Artemis program seeks to establish a permanent US presence on the satellite natural with a base, in addition to setting the conditions for the exploration of Mars.
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