For the first time since 1972, humans leave Earth’s orbit: Artemis 2 astronauts head to the moon; what happens next?

NASA’s Artemis 2 mission successfully performed a critical engine burn late Thursday, sending its crew out of Earth orbit and on the path to the moon, a major leap forward for human spaceflight.The translunar injection took place about 25 hours after liftoff, and three U.S. astronauts and one Canadian astronaut will fly over the moon early next week. The Orion spacecraft left the Earth’s orbit exactly as planned and began a journey of nearly 400,000 kilometers into deep space.NASA official Lori Glaze said: “This is the first time humans have left Earth orbit since the Apollo 17 moon landing in 1972.” He confirmed that the operation was flawless.Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen described astronauts as “glued to the windows,” mesmerized by the shrinking view of Earth and the vastness beyond. “It’s an extraordinary sight,” he said, adding that the mission reflected humanity’s shared ambition.After a day of testing life support systems in Earth orbit, the crew was cleared to head to the moon. The mission marks a critical step toward NASA’s long-term goal of a sustained human presence on the lunar surface.Commander Reed Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch and Hansen will fly around the moon and then return to Earth without landing. During the mission, they are expected to travel farther from Earth than any human has ever done before, surpassing the record set during Apollo 13 in 1970, and may also set a new speed record when re-entering the atmosphere on April 10.The flight was already historic: Glover, Koch and Hansen were the first black astronauts, the first women and the first non-Americans to walk on the moon — marking a major shift from the all-male, all-white astronauts of the Apollo era.Mission Control set the tone with a musical wake-up call before final approval of the engine burn, describing the journey as “humanity’s lunar return.” The spacecraft now follows a free return trajectory, using the gravity of the Earth and Moon to complete its figure-eight path.The next milestone will be Monday’s lunar flyby, when Orion will pass about 6,400 kilometers above the moon, providing a rare view of the far side. Astronauts are also expected to witness a total solar eclipse from space.Despite its milestones, the mission was not without its hiccups. The spacecraft’s toilet system malfunctioned and required a temporary fix, while frigid cabin temperatures forced the crew to bundle up. Engineers also addressed the drinking fountain issue by instructing astronauts to fill drinking water into backup storage bags.NASA hopes Artemis 2 will pave the way for future lunar landings, including a crewed mission planned for later this decade, marking the beginning of a new era of human exploration beyond Earth.