Artemis II Sets Course for Moon
After a picture-perfect launch Wednesday placed the crew of Artemis II into a highly elliptical Earth orbit, astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Jeremy Hansen, and Christina Koch are now officially on their way towards the Moon, the first humans to make such a journey since 1972. The trans-lunar injection, the technical name for the engine burn that placed the Orion capsule Integrity on course for the Moon, comes as the highlight of the second flight day. The remainder of flight day 2 after the trans-lunar injection, or TLI, is intended as a low-activity period to allow the crew to acclimate to the space environment.
Prior to TLI, the crew had a number of activities to test various systems aboard Integrity. Mission specialists Koch and Hansen were tasked with preparing Integrity for the critical burn, while Mission Commander Wiseman and Pilot Glover were assigned the first rotation on Orion’s flywheel-based rowing machine. The exercise device is the first strength training device to fly to deep space, and will assist Artemis astronauts in combating the effects of microgravity on the human body. Mr. Wiseman reported that the machine performed just as it did in training.
The successful first test of the exercise machine fit into a broader pattern of smooth sailing across the first two days of the mission. While there have been a number of minor technical issues (including a viral exchange over the Orion to Earth loop regarding Mr. Wiseman’s difficulties with Microsoft Outlook), all such issues have been superficial in nature and quickly resolved. The general feeling in Mission Control is one of a spacecraft performing as smoothly as can be expected on a test flight. The coming Flight Day 3 will be a more relaxed day as the vehicle coasts towards the moon, with tests of the spacecraft’s medical equipment and procedures planned alongside rehearsals for the science procedures that will be used during the lunar flyby on Flight Day 6.
Space Scout will be on the ground in Houston following the progress of the mission throughout the flight.
