Four astronauts launched Wednesday from Florida on NASA’s Artemis II mission, humanity’s first crewed journey around the moon in over 50 years. The 10-day flight tests new systems and prepares for future lunar landings, aiming for a sustainable American presence on the moon.
This mission marks the farthest humans have traveled and is a major step toward returning people to the lunar surface this decade, before China’s anticipated crewed landing. The crew of three Americans and one Canadian will circle the moon, mirroring the first crewed lunar mission since 1972.
Artemis II is the most ambitious U.S. space mission in decades, paving the way for a future lunar landing and, eventually, missions to Mars. Liftoff occurred at 6:35 pm EDT, initiating a high-stakes journey to bring humans back close to the moon for the first time in more than half a century.