NASA has successfully launched the Artemis II mission from Florida, sending four astronauts on a historic journey around the Moon. This is the first time in over 50 years that humans have travelled beyond low-Earth orbit.
The 32-storey Space Launch System rocket lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, witnessed by tens of thousands of spectators.
The Artemis II crew consists of NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman (commander), Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. They are expected to spend about ten days in space.
“On this historic mission, you take with you the heart of this Artemis team, the daring spirit of the American people and our partners across the globe, and the hopes and dreams of a new generation,” said launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson.
“Good luck, Godspeed Artemis II. Let’s go.”
Shortly after launch, Commander Reid Wiseman reported, "We have a beautiful moonrise; we’re headed right at it.”
To NASA’s relief, no significant hydrogen leaks were detected. The team successfully loaded more than 700,000 gallons (2.6 million litres) of fuel into the rocket.
“There are a lot of people who don’t remember Apollo. There are generations who weren’t alive when Apollo launched. This is their Apollo,” NASA science mission chief Nicky Fox had said earlier this week.
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