NASA has successfully launched its long-anticipated Artemis II mission, sending four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the Moon. The rocket lifted off at 6:35 p.m. ET from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The crew, consisting of NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, and Victor Glover, alongside Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, are the first humans to head toward the Moon since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972, marking more than five decades since the last such mission. They are also the first astronauts to be launched into space aboard NASA’s Space Launch System rocket.
The mission is not intended for a lunar landing. Instead, it serves as a preparatory step toward a planned landing in 2028 and supports NASA’s broader goal of establishing a sustained human presence on the Moon, including the development of a lunar base. During the mission, the crew may travel farther from Earth than any humans have before.
NASA has also indicated that it will provide live broadcasts throughout the mission, including views from inside the Orion capsule as well as updates from mission control. These streams will continue over the course of the 10-day journey as the spacecraft travels through space. The Space Launch System rocket, paired with the Orion spacecraft, successfully carried out its first human flight, and the capsule is now in orbit, with plans to swing around the Moon in the coming days. NASA is continuing to share live coverage of the mission through its official online platforms.
Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/
