Artemis II crew make final push towards the Moon

[0:00] Hello, welcome. The four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft have left Earth's orbit and are [0:05] heading to the moon. Ten seconds until trans-lunar injection burns start. Well, they have successfully [0:14] completed the critical engine burn that will now propel the capsule on its journey. Orion's [0:20] expected to reach the moon on Monday before traveling further into space until they loop [0:26] round on their return. Our science editor Rebecca Murrell reports. A last look at planet Earth. [0:34] And a critical moment for the Artemis II astronauts. Ten seconds until trans-lunar [0:41] injection burns start. The firing of the engine of their Orion Integrity capsule called the [0:48] Trans-Lunar Injection Burn, or TLI. The crew leave Earth orbit and head for the moon. [1:01] The crew spoke about their experience. One of the biggest surprises was how smooth riding [1:09] those solids was. We all expected a really just dynamic ride. A lot of [1:14] motion. We were prepared to potentially not being able to see telemetry, maybe even not [1:19] being able to touch switches. And it was very smooth. Your support and trust in us has enabled [1:26] this and so many people that have worked for so long to make this possible. But also we're [1:31] just getting started. You know, we've worked really hard. And even though we were a little [1:35] surprised to actually launch yesterday, we have a lot of mission left ahead of us. At [1:39] a press briefing, NASA leaders said the maneuver was flawless. [1:44] I am so, so excited to be able to tell you that for the first time since 1972 during Apollo 17, [1:52] human beings have left Earth orbit. With Artemis II's successful five-minute and 50-second [1:58] trans-lunar injection burn this evening, our four crew members are now on their trajectory toward [2:04] the moon. RS-25 engines, lift. Four, three, two, one. Booster ignition and liftoff. The astronauts' [2:18] flight started on a 100-meter-tall mega rocket. Leaving Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space [2:24] Center in Florida, the crews spent their first day in space checking all of their capsule [2:29] systems and even had a chance to work out. [2:33] They did an exercise test of the flywheel. That was successful. Reid reported that it [2:38] was exactly like training. His arms were really, really tired and he got a great cardio workout. [2:45] It will take about four days to fly to the moon. [2:48] They'll fly around its far side, the side we never see from Earth. Then they'll head home, [2:53] eventually splashing down in the Pacific Ocean. For now, they're already mesmerized by what they [2:59] can see. The Earth has already become a tiny dot in their rearview mirror. The next stop is the moon. [3:16] Rebecca Murrell, BBC News, at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. [3:20] Next stop is the moon. You've got to love that, don't you? We're joined by our climate and science [3:25] reporter, Esme Stallard. Before we talk about that next step, just talk us through, [3:30] what happened, because this was a really major moment for this expedition. [3:34] Exactly. This was absolutely crucial. Until now, they were sitting in Earth's orbit. We've [3:38] done that quite a few times before, but not since 1972. We made the decision to then go [3:43] on to the moon. This was a crucial no-go moment earlier in the evening, in which they decided, [3:50] were all systems functioning correctly? Were we in the right orientation to send us out [3:54] there? This also, they said, it was an absolutely flawless burn. You heard that from our colleague, [3:59] Becky Murrell. [4:00] This is crucial, because it also could set the record for the furthest now that astronauts [4:04] could have ever traveled in space, which was first set last in 1970. A very historic moment, [4:11] a very technical moment, but everyone seemed very happy, both on the ground at mission [4:16] control and also in the spacecraft. It's great that they're all happy, but now [4:22] the next step is they go to the far side of the moon, the bit that we don't see. [4:27] Yeah, they've still got a very long way to go. [4:29] They will arrive there. [4:30] They will arrive there around Monday. There will be a critical blackout moment where we [4:34] won't hear from them for 41 minutes. That'll be quite nail-biting stuff. But during that, [4:38] they'll be making observations of that far side of the moon. So, over the next few days, [4:42] they'll be working on that lunar targeting plan with the lunar science team. There's [4:46] actually been a solar eclipse that's now been added to that plan, which they'll observe [4:50] as well. And then once they remake contact, they'll be sending some of those observations [4:54] back. And then, of course, the final critical moment will be splashdown, which will be happening [4:58] next weekend. [5:00] So, it's still quite a long way to go. Lots more for the crew to do, but so far, so good. [5:05] And just in terms of the whole point of this, obviously, it's been 50 years since man landed [5:12] on the moon, and this is such a big deal. But just what do they want to gain out of [5:16] this particular expedition? [5:18] Yeah, this is a much bigger mission. So, NASA keeps calling this a test flight. That's because [5:22] the Artemis program eventually wants to land back on the moon. That'll be Artemis 4 mission. [5:26] But they actually want in the future to keep coming back time and time again. You know, [5:28] they're going to have to wait a little bit longer. [5:29] Yeah. [5:30] They're going to have to wait a year after year. And that's because they think the moon [5:32] has very critical resources and minerals. Now, if those remember the 1967 Outer Space [5:37] Treaty, you're not actually allowed to claim the moon for your own, but it is a little [5:41] bit first come, first serve. So, America wants to get there. China is also targeting it for [5:45] 2030. And even though there's been lots of kind of talk of camaraderie doing this for [5:50] mankind, Trump posted on True Social at the beginning of the mission that the U.S. is [5:54] winning on Earth and in space. So, it's quite clear that as much as this is about cooperation, [5:58] it's also about a race to the moon. [6:00] A race to the moon. And when it comes to the astronauts themselves, I heard that they'd [6:05] pre before actually setting off, they'd had sleepovers together in order to get used to [6:09] each other, because obviously the conditions that they're living in are pretty close. [6:13] Yeah. If anyone's ever been on a caravan holiday, that's probably the best way to describe a [6:17] recreation of this. It's only five meters by three meters they're in. They're very tightly [6:20] packed. They have an exercise machine which sits above the tuiler. We hear that Christine [6:25] LeCocq is hanging upside down from the ceiling in time and trying to sit. So, it's a little [6:29] bit of a race to the moon. [6:30] So, they're in very close quarters, but they have a very tight schedule. Yesterday, they [6:34] were on four-hour sleep schedules. And so, that will help with the mental load in making [6:39] sure they have very clear tasks to do throughout the mission and help them cope with some of [6:43] those close quarters that they're operating in. [6:45] And they've been describing some of the extraordinary views that they've had of planet Earth. [6:50] Yeah, something that only a few people in the history of human race have actually managed [6:54] to observe. They've been saying it's been absolutely spectacular. They said they actually [6:58] forgot to eat because they were so busy looking out the windows. They managed to see the northern [7:01] light. So, they had a little press conference, a video conference where we got to see them [7:05] speaking to us for the first time. And there'll be a series of those video conferences over [7:09] the next eight days or so. We'll hear more about the observations. But yeah, they just [7:12] seem absolutely delighted with the mission so far. [7:16] So thrilled with the mission. We're expecting that next stage taking place on Monday. And [7:23] when you talk about them returning, splash down, you describe it. So, what's the conversation? [7:26] Yeah, so we're expecting that next stage taking place on Monday. And when you talk about them [7:27] returning, splash down, you describe it. So, what's the conversation? So, what's the conversation? [7:28] So, we're expecting that next stage taking place on Monday. And when you talk about them [7:29] returning, splash down, you describe it. So, what's the conversation? So, we're expecting [7:30] that next stage taking place on Monday. And when you talk about them returning, splash [7:31] down, you describe it. So, what's the conversation? So, we're expecting that next stage taking [7:32] place on Monday. And when you talk about them returning, splash down, you describe it. So, [7:33] we're expecting that next stage taking place on Monday. And when you talk about them returning, [7:34] splash down, you describe it. So, what's the conversation? So, we're expecting that next [7:35] stage taking place on Monday. And when you talk about them returning, splash down, you [7:36] describe it. So, we're expecting that next stage taking place on Monday. And when you [7:37] talk about them returning, splash down, you describe it. So, we're expecting that next [7:38] now to this point. So, as they swing back around, and I mentioned there the splashdown, [7:42] that is a really technically and quite dangerous position that they're in at that point. They're [7:47] under a lot of pressure to come down. And what will happen is that the whole procedure [7:51] is that they'll be recovered from the Pacific Ocean by NASA's specialist team. The Navy [7:57] will be there as well. So, that will be obviously a very critical step. It's not without risks. [8:03] I think even though everyone seems all smiles at the moment, it is worth pointing out obviously [8:07] there is the risk of death with this. This is a very high-risk mission. But they won't [8:11] be looking ahead to that. They'll be just taking the next few hours, collecting all [8:14] the data they can and just learning as they go. [8:16] Yeah, take it step at a time. But obviously, a lot of critical moments throughout the next [8:22] few days. Esme, as always, thank you so much for talking us through it. And I love that [8:25] analogy of spending time in a caravan because ultimately, yeah, that's a pretty tight, pretty [8:31] close. You get to know your team very well, don't you? Esme Stallard, thank you so much.