NASA’s Artemis II mission marked a major milestone as its four astronauts successfully entered Earth orbit shortly after launch. Around an hour into the flight, the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket’s upper stage fired, boosting the Orion capsule—named “Integrity”—into a higher orbit, where the crew began a planned 25-hour systems checkout ahead of their lunar trajectory.
Commander Reid Wiseman captured the moment from space, radioing, “The sun is rising on Integrity,” as the crew witnessed a breathtaking orbital sunrise. The mission team is now focused on carefully verifying all onboard systems before executing the lunar slingshot maneuver that will send them toward the Moon, approximately 248,000 miles away.
Mission specialist Christina Koch undertook one of the essential early tasks—activating and checking the spacecraft’s toilet system—ensuring the crew’s comfort and functionality for the 10-day journey.
Artemis II is NASA’s first crewed mission under the Artemis program, representing a critical step toward returning humans to the Moon and eventually enabling future missions to Mars.
