NASAs Artemis II crew successfully completed the critical translunar injection (TLI) burn on Friday morning at 7:42 AM EDT, placing the Orion spacecraft on a trajectory toward the Moon and marking a historic milestone in human spaceflight. The four-person crew is now traveling at approximately 24,500 miles per hour on a path that will carry them around the far side of the Moon before returning to Earth.

The TLI Burn

The translunar injection maneuver, executed by the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) derived from the Space Launch Systems upper stage, lasted approximately 18 minutes and increased the spacecrafts velocity by roughly 6,800 miles per hour. The burn was monitored from Mission Control at NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston.

"TLI is complete. Orion is on its way to the Moon. Everything looks nominal across the board," announced Capsule Communicator (CAPCOM) Stephanie Wilson, herself a three-time shuttle veteran, to applause in Mission Control.

Commander Reid Wiseman, the missions lead astronaut, reported from Orion shortly after the burn: "Houston, we have a beautiful view of Earth getting smaller. The burn felt great. The crew is in excellent shape and we are Moon-bound."

The Crew

The Artemis II crew represents both NASAs experience and its international partnerships:

The diversity of the crew has been a point of emphasis for NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, who noted that Artemis II represents "the most diverse crew ever sent beyond Earth orbit."

Mission Timeline

Following TLI, the crew will spend approximately four days traveling to the Moon. The mission profile calls for a free-return trajectory that will carry Orion to within 6,400 miles of the lunar surface — close enough to observe landing sites under consideration for the Artemis III mission, which aims to return humans to the lunar surface.

Key upcoming milestones include:

Historical Significance

The last time human beings traveled beyond low Earth orbit was December 19, 1972, when Apollo 17 astronauts Eugene Cernan, Harrison Schmitt, and Ronald Evans returned from the Moon. In the 53 years since, no human has ventured farther than approximately 250 miles above Earths surface.

"This is the moment where humanity resumes its journey outward. We are not just going back to the Moon — we are going forward to the Moon, with the goal of staying," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson during a post-TLI press conference.

Technical Validation

Beyond its symbolic importance, Artemis II serves as a critical test of the Orion spacecrafts life support systems, navigation, and heat shield performance with crew aboard. The vehicle will re-enter Earths atmosphere at approximately 25,000 mph, testing the heat shield at temperatures exceeding 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Space Launch System rocket, which launched the crew from Kennedy Space Center on April 2, performed flawlessly during ascent — a crucial validation after the uncrewed Artemis I test flight in 2022 revealed several issues requiring correction.

Public interest in the mission has been extraordinary. NASA reported that the launch webcast drew over 48 million concurrent viewers across all platforms, and the TLI burn stream attracted 22 million. Schools across the country organized watch parties, and the mission has generated significant social media engagement.

The crew will conduct their first live television broadcast from deep space on Saturday, when Orion will be approximately 100,000 miles from Earth.