NASA’s Orion spacecraft has entered lunar orbit, to return on December 11

In a sign that NASA's much-delayed Moon mission was going smoothly, officials said that the Orion spacecraft was placed in lunar orbit on Friday (October 25). A little over a week after the spacecraft blasted off from Florida bound for the Moon, flight controllers "successfully performed a burn to insert Orion into a distant retrograde orbit," the US space agency said on its website.

In coming years, the spacecraft will take astronauts to the Moon. This will be NASA's return to Moon after its last Apollo mission in 1972.

This first test flight, without a crew on board, aims to ensure that the vehicle is safe.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

"The orbit is distant in that Orion will fly about 40,000 miles above the Moon," NASA said.

Flight controllers will monitor key systems while the spacecraft is in lunar orbit. They will also perform checkouts in theenvironment of deep space

Orion will take about a week to complete half an orbit around the Moon. Itwill then exit the orbit for the return journey home, according to NASA.

Also Read | A close-up of the Moon: Artemis 1's Orion spacecraft captures closest images of the lunar body

On Saturday, the ship is expected to go up to 40,000 miles beyond the Moon, a record for a habitable capsule. The current record is held by the Apollo 13 spacecraft at 248,655 miles (400,171 km) from Earth.

It will then begin the journey back to Earth, with a landing in the Pacific Ocean scheduled for December 11, after just over 25 days of flight.

The success of this mission will determine the future of the Artemis 2 mission, which will take astronauts around the Moon without landing, then Artemis 3, which will finally mark the return of humans to the lunar surface.Those missions are scheduled to take place in 2024 and 2025, respectively.

(With inputs from agencies)

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE