OAN Staff Addie Davis
3:20 PM – Friday, February 27, 2026
The crew of Artemis II spoke to reporters on Thursday shortly after the Orion spacecraft finished the translunar injection (TLI) burn to send them out of Earth’s orbit on a path to the moon.
Artemis II, the first manned mission to the moon in over 50 years, launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, beginning a 10-day mission to fly by the moon and return to Earth.
The Orion spacecraft is scheduled to splash down in the Pacific Ocean, specifically about 60 miles off the coast of San Diego, California.
The four-person crew includes commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen.
Three are veterans of space flight, though this marks the first time for Hansen, a Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut.
The astronauts spoke to reporters through a broadcast from the Orion spacecraft about 30 hours after liftoff. Speaking to an ABC News reporter, Hansen remarked that there was “a moment of disbelief” when the rocket achieved liftoff.
“I just had a huge smile on my face,” he said.
Wiseman talked about the view of Earth as the sun was setting behind it, saying they had stopped in their tracks after mission control had reoriented their spacecraft about an hour prior to the broadcast.
“You could see the entire globe from pole to pole. You could see Africa, Europe, and if you looked really close, you could see the northern lights. It was the most spectacular moment, and it paused all four of us in our tracks,” Wiseman said.
The commander also spoke on the monumental feat of lunar travel.
“We have been to the moon before in 1969, 1968-1972. It’s been a long time since we’ve been back, and I got to tell you, there is nothing normal about this,” Wiseman said. “Sending four humans 250,000 miles away is a herculean effort, and we are now just realizing the gravity of that.”
When asked about the message for Americans back home with so much division occurring, Glover iterated unity.
“The first thing I would say is, trust us, you look amazing. You look beautiful. And from here, you also look like one thing. You know, Homo sapiens is all of us. No matter where you’re from or, you know, what you look like, we’re all one people,” he said.
Glover also added that the mission is something the crew can remember and hold onto for the rest of their lives.
“We call amazing things that humans do moonshots for a reason,” he said. “This brought us together and showed us what we can do when we put–not just putting our differences aside–when we bring our differences together and use all the strengths to accomplish something great.”
Speaking with a Fox News reporter, Wiseman explained that they were technically still in Earth’s orbit, though they are on their way to the moon and its gravity would be taking over in a couple of days, pulling them around the far side. NASA on Thursday noted the successful TLI burn and that Orion was sent “out of Earth orbit and on a trajectory toward the Moon.”
The crew of Artemis II is set to venture further into deep space than any human in history.
During a mission update, Koch stated that their Wednesday launch window provided the specific orbital mechanics necessary to reach this record-breaking distance. She further noted that these current achievements are vital stepping stones for the future of long-term space exploration.
“That’s why we’re here — to build a legacy for the future,” Koch said.
Glover emphasized the critical role of the ground systems and launch control teams, crediting their expertise for the mission’s successful departure from Kennedy Space Center. He noted that the precision of the teams on the ground was essential in navigating the complexities of the launch and ensuring the crew’s safe transition into orbit.
While the crew had been preparing for the TLI burn, they received an emergency message for a suspected cabin leak, Hansen recounted.
Writer’s Note: A Translunar Injection (TLI) burn is a critical propulsive maneuver used to send a spacecraft out of Earth’s orbit and onto a trajectory toward the moon. While a spacecraft in low Earth orbit (LEO) is moving fast enough to stay in orbit, it is still “trapped” by Earth’s gravity. To reach the moon, it must increase its velocity significantly to reach escape velocity — the speed needed to break free of Earth’s gravitational pull and enter the moon’s “sphere of influence,” according to NASA.
“… Which grabs your attention, because this is right when you’re coming through some of the higher density orbits and you might run into something,” he continued.
Uncertainty had briefly clouded the mission as the crew and ground controllers weighed the possibility of aborting the burn entirely, a contingency that would have forced an immediate shift toward orchestrating an emergency return to Earth.
“Luckily, it was just a little anomaly and Houston helped us out. They confirmed they were seeing good cabin pressure, as were we on board, and we did the burn and now we’re on our way to the moon,” Hansen said.
NASA characterized Artemis II as the foundational crewed flight of the program, representing a pivotal milestone in the mission to establish a sustained lunar presence and pave the way for eventual human exploration of Mars.
Future Artemis missions are planned, with hopes to land astronauts on the moon in 2028, and establish a lunar base in coming years, according to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman.
Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts
What do YOU think? Click here to jump to the comments!
Sponsored Content Below
