Artemis II crew shares experience aboard Orion on historic moon mission
NASA’s Artemis II crew launched Wednesday from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, beginning a historic mission to orbit the moon. Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch of the U.S., along with Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency, boarded the Orion spacecraft, which stands 322 feet tall.
The four-person team is set to travel around the moon and return to Earth over a 10-day mission. During a conversation with Fox News’ Trace Gallagher on Thursday night, the crew shared insights into what life is like aboard Orion as they venture farther from Earth than any crewed mission since the Apollo era.
Christina Koch described the experience of zero gravity, saying, “There is no difference between up and down, and so, yes, I’ve been sleeping with my feet there and my head down here, and it’s very comfortable. We’re learning how to make this space capsule a home.”
Victor Glover expressed surprise upon receiving the launch clearance and credited NASA’s ground teams for their months of preparation. “It was an example of how hard they’ve been working lately that we launched,” he said, adding that the launch felt “beautiful,” despite not being able to watch closely.
The crew recently completed a critical trans-lunar injection burn, committing the spacecraft to its trajectory toward the moon. Commander Reid Wiseman confirmed they are on course, saying, “We are definitely 100% on our way to the moon,” as lunar gravity begins to influence their path.
Wiseman highlighted the significance of the mission, calling it an unprecedented technical achievement. “It’s unbelievable that we can put our minds to something and pull it off,” he said. Koch added that traveling farther from Earth than any crewed mission in more than five decades is a milestone worth acknowledging and explaining to the public.
Artemis II follows the uncrewed Artemis I test flight and is a key step toward future missions, including Artemis III, which aims to land astronauts on the moon using a lunar lander from SpaceX, Blue Origin, or both, according to NASA.
Source: Original Article
