NASA has launched the Artemis II mission, sending four astronauts on a historic journey around the Moon in the first crewed lunar mission in more than five decades.
The Space Launch System rocket lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 6:24 p.m. ET, marking a major milestone in NASA’s ambitious Artemis program aimed at returning humans to the Moon and establishing a long-term lunar presence.
The Artemis II crew includes NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch and Victor Glover, alongside Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen. Together they become the first humans to travel toward the Moon since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.
The mission will last approximately 10 days and is designed as a critical test flight for NASA’s next generation lunar exploration program. Unlike the Apollo missions, Artemis II will not attempt a lunar landing. Instead, the crew will orbit the Moon before safely returning to Earth.
During the mission, the astronauts are expected to travel farther from Earth than any humans have gone before, demonstrating the capabilities of NASA’s powerful Space Launch System rocket and the Orion spacecraft that will carry the crew.
Preparations for the historic launch began hours earlier at the Kennedy Space Center. The astronauts departed the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building to loud cheers from NASA staff, members of the media and their families.
Commander Reid Wiseman described the moment as a major achievement for the team behind the mission, calling it “a great day” for everyone involved in the Artemis program.
The crew then boarded NASA’s “astrovan,” a specially equipped 27-foot motorhome used to transport astronauts to the launch pad. The short 20-minute ride included a lighthearted moment as some of the astronauts watched scenes from the movies Top Gun and Point Break on board.
As the vehicle approached the launch site, crowds gathered along the road to wave flags and cheer the astronauts on. A helicopter with armed security flew overhead as part of the tightly controlled launch security operation.
The Artemis II mission represents a critical step toward NASA’s long-term exploration plans. The agency hopes to return astronauts to the lunar surface by 2028 and eventually establish a permanent human presence on the Moon.
NASA also views the Artemis program as a testing ground for future deep space missions, including eventual human exploration of Mars.