Artemis II heads to Moon

The Orion spacecraft's main engine fired for six minutes, generating 6,000 pounds of thrust to propel the crew toward the lunar far side.

This milestone marks the farthest distance humans have traveled into deep space since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.

Despite minor issues with the onboard toilet and Microsoft Outlook software, the crew reported they are in good spirits and on track for a Monday flyby.

The mission serves as a vital proving ground for NASA's goal of landing astronauts on the lunar surface by 2028.