Artemis II Orion performs TLI Burn Now headed to the Moon

Date:
Fri, 03 Apr 2026 03:46:22 +0000

Description:
In a historic milestone more than 50 years in the making, NASAs Orion spacecraft Integrity The post Artemis II Orion performs TLI Burn Now headed to the Moon appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com .

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In a historic milestone more than 50 years in the making, NASAs Orion spacecraft Integrity has successfully performed its trans-lunar injection (TLI) burn, departing its high elliptical Earth orbit and setting course for the Moon.

The roughly six-minute firing of the European Service Modules AJ10 engine accelerated the crew of fourNASA astronauts Reid Wiseman (commander), Victor Glover (pilot), and Christina Koch (mission specialist), along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansenonto a trajectory that will take them farther from Earth than any humans since the Apollo era.



Notably, the engine has a direct link to Shuttle history.

It is a refurbished Orbital Maneuvering Engine (OME) previously flown on
Space Shuttle Atlantis during nine of her missions. Shuttle Atlantis OME during her last mission, STS-135 via L2s 1000s of RPM photos

The burn, which occurred after extensive system checks and a formal mission management team review, marks the point of no return for the crewed portion
of the Artemis II mission.

With the maneuver complete, Orion is now committed to its lunar flyby trajectory.

Toilet Trouble Resolved Before the Big Burn

Earlier in the mission, the crew encountered an unexpected issue with Orions Universal Waste Management System (the spacecrafts toilet), which displayed a fault light shortly after reaching orbit.

Working closely with Mission Control in Houston, the astronautsled in part by Kochsuccessfully troubleshot and restored the system to full operation. BREAKING: THE TOILET IS FIXED.

Artemis II's crew WILL boldly Go where nobody has Gone before https://t.co/KPg2xRzgQm

Ryan Caton (@dpoddolphinpro) April 2, 2026



NASA confirmed the fix, averting the need for contingency waste collection methods and allowing the crew to proceed with confidence.

Following the repair, the astronauts enjoyed their first rest period: a four-hour nap, their first real opportunity for sleep after a flawless launch from Kennedy Space Centers Launch Complex 39B on April 1, 2026.



Wake-Up Calls, Orbital Adjustments, and New Records

Tradition continued as Mission Control woke the crew with music played over the communications loopa ritual expected to repeat throughout the voyage.

The astronauts then monitored a 43-second perigee-raising burn that lifted
the spacecrafts lowest point in its elliptical Earth orbit, ensuring it would not prematurely re-enter the atmosphere. This safety feature was designed to allow a rapid return home if any major issues arose.



Even while still in Earth orbit, the crew set new distance records, traveling farther from the planet than any humans since Apollo.

At one point, they were approximately 175 times farther from Earth than the International Space Station. Now, with TLI complete, they are headed roughly 1,000 times farther out.

The astronauts also tested Orions flywheel exercise machine, performing aerobic and resistance workouts to help counteract muscle and bone loss in microgravity.

Post-Launch Activities on the Ground

Back at Kennedy Space Center, teams began inspecting the Mobile Launcher that supported the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.

Imagery shared by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman showed scorching on the platform from the twin five-segment solid rocket boostersdamage expected
after such a powerful liftoff. Artemis II astronauts are doing great. The Orion spacecraft is performing well in an impressive elliptical orbit, and
the @NASA_Johnson Mission Control team is taking good care of the crew. Meanwhile, back at @NASAKennedy , the teams are out at the pad getting ready for what comes pic.twitter.com/PsnPMeLNvS

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman (@NASAAdmin) April 2, 2026



Notably, the elevator doors, which were destroyed during the uncrewed Artemis I launch, remained partially intact this time. This represents progress compared to earlier non-Shuttle-era launches, such as the Ares I-X mission, which caused extensive damage to the pad.

NASA also released additional high-quality footage of the launch using remote cameras, providing views beyond official NASA coverage. Artemis II: All engineering cams from launch now available! 44 minutes of goodness! https://t.co/qMPSAbM7e4 pic.twitter.com/gh5WPOvXRI

NSF NASASpaceflight.com (@NASASpaceflight) April 2, 2026



Whats Next: Lunar Flyby and Return

Orion is expected to enter the Moons sphere of influence in approximately
four days. The lunar flyby is scheduled to begin on Monday, with closest approach to the Moon at 23:58 UTC (19:58 EDT).

Just three minutes later, the spacecraft will reach its maximum distance from Earthprojected to surpass the record set by Apollo 13before departing the lunar vicinity about 18.5 hours later.

See Also Artemis II Updates SLS Forum Section Artemis Archives Click here to Join L2

The crew will have the rare opportunity to view the Moon up close with their own eyes and capture photographs through the capsule windows. Several trajectory correction burns may follow if needed to fine-tune the return
path.

On Flight Day 7, the crew will conduct a manual piloting exercise with Orion flying solo. Additional correction burns are possible on Flight Days 9 and
10, though they may be skipped if the trajectory is already precise.

As the mission nears its end, the crew will don their entry suits, separate the crew module from the European Service Module, and prepare for atmospheric re-entry.

Splashdown in the Pacific Ocean is targeted for roughly nine days, one hour, and 46 minutes after launch, with the crew scheduled to be aboard the U.S. Navy recovery ship shortly thereafter.

With the TLI burn complete and the toilet fixed, Artemis II has cleared its most critical early hurdles. The crew is now on an irreversible path toward humanitys first crewed lunar encounter of the 21st centurya voyage that will etch new chapters into the history of human spaceflight.



The post Artemis II Orion performs TLI Burn Now headed to the Moon appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com .



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Link to news story: https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2026/04/artemis-ii-orion-performs-tli-headed-m oon/


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