Artemis II Astronauts Bound for Moon

The successful six-minute firing of Orion's main engine marks a pivotal milestone in humanity's return to deep space exploration.

After spending a day testing systems in high Earth orbit, the crew overcame minor technical hurdles including a malfunctioning toilet and faulty email access.

The mission is designed to test the Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft's capabilities with humans on board before a planned surface landing in 2028.

The astronauts are scheduled to reach the far side of the moon early next week before returning to Earth.