Moon Lunar Events And EclipsesLunar Item

Humans leaving Earth orbit for the first time since 1972

April 3, 2026Spaceflight Now, Dr. Michio Kaku, Barry Bonzack

Several posts frame Artemis II as the first time since Apollo 17 that humans have left Earth orbit, underscoring the historical break from five decades of Earth-orbital human spaceflight.

"For the first time since 1972, during Apollo 17, human beings have left Earth orbit"
For the first time in 50 years, @NASA is sending astronauts around the Moon.
Every space mission since 1972, humans have orbited the Earth.
Spaceflight Now
Dr. Michio Kaku
Barry Bonzack
Sky & Telescope
historymilestone

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