The crew lifted off around 6:35 p.m. ET from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. On the 10-day mission, they could travel farther from Earth than any humans have gone before.
What to know
- NASA’s long-awaited Artemis II mission has launched four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the moon. The rocket lifted off at 6:35 p.m. ET from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
- The crew — NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch and Victor Glover and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen — are the first people to launch toward the moon since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972, more than 50 years ago. They are also the first astronauts whom NASA’s giant Space Launch System rocket has ever launched into space.
- The mission does not include a lunar landing; rather, it is designed as a step toward a landing in 2028 and, eventually, toward NASA’s goal of establishing a long-term presence on the moon and building a base there. When they circle the moon, the Artemis II crew members could reach a greater distance from Earth than anyone has before.
- Throughout the Artemis II mission, NASA plans to stream live views of space and the astronauts’ activities inside the Orion capsule.
