Artemis Two: First Humans to Loop Moon in 50 Years

0:00It's April 1st, you're listening to Sydney News today, AI-powered local news. I'm Cory with the story. NASA's Artemis II mission is gearing up for launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, with four astronauts set to loop around the moon, the first. Humans to do that in over 50 years. Commander Reed Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen make up the crew aboard the Orion spacecraft. This 10-day trip aims to push boundaries, flying farther than anyone before if it hits the max distance. Right after liftoff, the rocket faces intense moments like Max Q. The peak stress point just one minute in, then sheds massive boosters two minutes. Later, in the fuel tank at eight minutes, they'll zip past the International Space Station around 340 kilometers up, dodging thousands of satellites including Starlink and Space Junk on the way out of low Earth orbit. This crew marks history with Christina Koch as the first woman and Victor Glover as the

1:00first person of color nearing the moon. It's a big deal since Apollo 17 and 1972 was our last visit, and only one survivor from that team remains at age 90. The mission builds on Artemis I's uncrewed test with radiation dummies that proved short lunar jaunts are safe. As they burn toward the moon, 400,000 kilometers away, expect a slingshot orbit fly by that could smash Apollo 13's record of four. 100,171 kilometers from Earth, possibly reaching 426,500. Fun note, Orion finally has a real toilet, unlike Apollo's bags, though 70% of astronauts battle space sickness early on. After looping the moon, the crew coasts home four days, splashing down in the Pacific at 40,000 kilometers per hour. As here paves the way for future landings and longer stays, firing up the next era of lunar exploration.