Artemis II mission reaches lunar trajectory and sends first images

The Artemis II mission, carrying four astronauts—three Americans and one Canadian—is currently en route to the Moon after successfully completing a trans-lunar injection burn on April 2, 2026. Launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the spacecraft Orion is performing a figure-eight trajectory around the Moon and is scheduled for a ten-day flight, marking the first human mission beyond Earth's orbit since 1972. Command pilot Reid Wiseman used a tablet to capture high-resolution images of Earth, which were released by NASA as the crew reached the midpoint between Earth and the Moon. NASA mission control confirmed the craft is over 219,000 kilometers from Earth. During the journey, the crew has encountered minor technical issues, including a malfunction with the onboard toilet, which were successfully resolved. The mission aims to test systems for future lunar landings and reached a point where the gravitational pull of the Moon became stronger than that of Earth. This mission is regarded as a significant milestone in international space exploration.