Artemis 1 Spacecraft Gets Within 80 Miles of Lunar Surface

Six days into its mission, Artemis 1’s Orion spacecraft completed its fourth orbital trajectory correction burn yesterday. An “orbital trajectory correction burn” means the spacecraft uses its propulsion systems to alter its orbit. This enabled Orion to fly by the moon in its closest approach to the surface yet. Orion came within 80 miles of the lunar surface.

Orion is now scheduled to enter distant retrograde orbit on Friday. This means the spacecraft will orbit past the moon to test the strain on its systems while in deep space.

The Artemis program intends to put the first woman and person of color on the moon. Artemis is a trial run for future manned missions to Mars.

The future of space: Man’s exploration of space has inspired people around the world—and continues to do so. The Artemis program was only announced a few years ago and is already making history. What is the future of space exploration? It is actually bigger and more awe-inspiring than most realize. Our free booklet Our Awesome Universe Potential by Trumpet managing editor Joel Hilliker can show you why.