NASA's Artemis II crew successfully departed Earth orbit Thursday after executing a critical six-minute engine burn that propelled their Orion capsule toward the moon at 24,500 mph — the velocity needed to escape Earth's gravitational pull.
The translunar injection maneuver occurred more than 25 hours after the Space Launch System rocket launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the most crucial phase of humanity's first crewed lunar mission in over half a century.
Commander Reid Wiseman's four-person crew monitored the engine burn as Orion passed through the lowest point of its highly elliptical orbit. The maneuver added 867 mph to their already substantial orbital velocity, committing the astronauts to a free-return trajectory that will carry them around the moon's far side without requiring additional major rocket burns.
Y Houston, (aquí) Integrity. Solo quería compartir un poco del sentimiento que sentimos aquí arriba mientras dábamos la vuelta al planeta y volábamos a tan solo cien millas náuticas por encima de él
Jeremy Hansen, Astronaut — La Tercera
Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen radioed mission control after the burn's completion, expressing the crew's emotions as they orbited just 100 nautical miles above Earth before beginning their lunar journey.
El País frames this as a triumphant moment, emphasizing the successful completion of the mission's most critical phase. The outlet highlights the technical achievement and historical significance of returning humans to lunar exploration.