Artemis II leaves Earth's orbit

Commanded by Reid Wiseman, the Artemis II crew—including Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen—is now on a free-return trajectory toward the moon.

This historic flight serves as a critical test for the Orion spacecraft's life support systems and maneuverability ahead of planned surface landings.

Despite minor technical hurdles, such as a faulty toilet fixed by the crew, the mission remains on schedule for its lunar flyby.

The astronauts have described the view of Earth as 'amazingly beautiful,' capturing rare atmospheric phenomena from deep space.