The four astronauts of the Artemis 2 mission have embarked on their historic journey toward the Moon, after firing the Orion capsule's engines to break free from Earth's orbit.
This moment marks NASA's return to crewed lunar flights for the first time in over 50 years. The 10-day mission aims to test systems and pave the way for future Moon landings.
"The crew is feeling great up here, on our way to the Moon," said astronaut Jeremy Hansen, highlighting humanity's next achievement in space exploration.
Meanwhile, mission commander Reid Wiseman described the emotions of the moment when they saw Earth from space: "You can see the entire globe, from pole to pole... it was the most spectacular moment of our lives."
According to plan, the capsule is expected to approach the Moon on April 6. During the journey, the astronauts will experience unique views, with Earth appearing increasingly smaller and the Moon drawing ever closer.
Around the sixth day of the mission, the crew is expected to witness a total solar eclipse from deep space. They will also fly over the far side of the Moon—an area never visible from Earth—marking another historic moment.
During this phase, the astronauts will analyze and photograph the lunar surface, including craters and ancient lava flows, data that will assist future missions in exploring the Moon's South Pole region.