Artemis 2 Astronauts Reach Moon’s Sphere Of Gravitational Influence

CAPE CANAVERAL (Florida), April 6 (Bernama-dpa) -- The four astronauts on the Artemis 2 mission have reached the moon’s sphere of gravitational influence, meaning the point at which the moon’s gravity has a stronger effect on the Orion spacecraft than Earth’s, German Press Agency (dpa) reported, citing NASA on Monday.

The crew – US astronauts Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Reid Wiseman and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen – are currently the first people in more than 50 years to be travelling to the moon. 

It is the second space flight for Glover, Koch, and Wiseman and the first for Hansen. Koch is the first woman on board a NASA lunar mission, Glover the first black person, and Hansen the first Canadian.

They lifted off on Wednesday evening aboard the Orion capsule on the Space Launch System rocket from the Cape Canaveral spaceport in the United States (US) state of Florida. About 24 hours later, they left Earth's orbit using a special manoeuvre.

Artemis 2 builds on the experience of the uncrewed Artemis 1 mission in 2022. 

The Artemis 2 flight path overall resembles a figure of eight around Earth and the moon. 

The crew is now due to fly around the moon and splash down in the sea back on Earth on Friday.

In the next few hours, the spacecraft is expected to come closest to the moon,  about 7,500 kilometres beyond the far side. From there, the astronauts will be able to see Earth and the moon at the same time - and even a solar eclipse in which the Sun disappears behind the moon from Orion’s perspective.

They could also travel farther from Earth than any humans ever before. The current record was set by the crew of the Apollo 13 mission in 1970 at about 400,171 kilometres.

-- BERNAMA-dpa