Artemis II prepares to head for the moon

NASA said several early technical issues aboard Orion — a communications fault, a blinking toilet warning and email access problems — were resolved, and mission managers approved a translunar injection burn to send the spacecraft toward the moon.

NASA's Artemis II crew experienced and resolved a handful of small technical issues in the hours after launch. Ground teams restored communications after a post-launch glitch and worked with the astronauts to address a blinking warning light on the capsule's toilet system. Mission controllers also regained remote access to onboard computers and brought Microsoft Outlook back online for the crew. With those issues addressed, managers polled "go" to proceed with a translunar injection burn that will set Orion on a path toward the moon. Known details: - The initial communications problem was resolved quickly, and NASA said there were no issues with the vehicle itself. - Astronauts reported a blinking fault light on the Universal Waste Management System; mission managers confirmed it was restored to normal operations. - If the toilet had not been fixed, the crew would have used collapsible contingency urinals for urine collection while still using the toilet for fecal storage. - Crew computers experienced email access problems with Microsoft Outlook; mission controllers gained remote access and restored the application. - The translunar injection burn is scheduled for 7:49 p.m. ET and will last just under six minutes to boost Orion out of Earth orbit. Summary: NASA described the early glitches as resolved and emphasized that the vehicle itself was not affected. Flight controllers will closely monitor engine performance, guidance and navigation during the roughly six-minute translunar injection burn. If the maneuver succeeds, Orion will be committed to an outbound lunar trajectory and the crew would be the first to journey toward the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972.