NASA‘s Artemis II rocket took off in a blaze of glory on it’s mission to the moon from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday afternoon.Â
It is the furthest space exploration mission undertaken in human history, coming 57 years after American astronauts first set foot on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969.Â
The countdown began at 4.44pm EST this afternoon with the rocket taking off at 6.35pm EST. Optimal weather allowed for the launch to be cleared, with backup windows scheduled through the week until April 6.
The launch was delayed earlier as engineers worked on a critical safety issue within the rocket.Â
Derrol Nail, a NASA commentator who is in the launch control room claimed there was a problem with the Space Launch System rocket’s flight termination system. Engineers also discovered a problem with the battery on the launch abort system, which ejects the capsule containing the astronauts away from the rocket in case of an issue during flight. Â
Artemis II sent NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen on the first mission to reach the moon since 1972.
The ten-day journey will see the astronauts launch into orbit and then separate their Orion spacecraft from the launch vehicle, break out of low-Earth orbit, circle the moon and then return.
The historic flight is the first step in NASA’s new multi-step to land on the moon by 2028 at the earliest.
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Artemis II: Inside NASA’s first moon mission in over 50 years
Breaking:NASA’s Artemis II lifts off on historic mission to the moon
Artemis II has successfully launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida carrying four crew members on a ten-day mission to reach the moon for the first time since 1972.
The NASA spacecraft officially launched at 6.35pm ET on Wednesday after passing all systems checks with no problems.
Four minutes into the flight, Artemis II crossed the boundary into space with no issues in the flight.
NASA astronaut and mission commander reported: ‘We have a beautiful moonrise. We’re headed right at it!’
National Weather Service captures Artemis II crew flying by on satellite
The National Weather Service captured the Artemis II crew zipping through the atmosphere on its satellite.
‘It’s a bird…It’s a plane…It’s the Artemis II crew on their way to the moon!’ NWS Atlanta wrote on X.
Artemis II begins to deploy spacecraft’s solar wings after successful launch
Artemis II began to deploy the spacecraft’s solar wings approximately 20 minutes into the historic flight to the moon.
Once extended, the four solar panels will provide continuous electrical power to the spacecraft throughout its ten-day journey.
It will support the crew’s life‑support systems, avionics, communications and onboard operations.
Artemis II is scheduled to carry the astronauts farther than any human has ever traveled, going 250,000 miles from Earth.
How liftoff happened
NASA’s Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, with the Orion spacecraft atop, lifted off at 6.35pm ET to begin its journey around the moon.
The twin solid rocket boosters ignited first, delivering more than 75 percent of the thrust needed to lift the 5.75-million-pound rocket off the pad, according to NASA.
Their combined power, along with the four RS-25 engines already at full thrust, generated an incredible 8.8 million pounds of force at liftoff.
As the rocket rose, the umbilicals – which provided power, fuel, and data connections during prelaunch – disconnected and retracted into protective housings. This ensured the vehicle is free from ground systems and fully autonomous for flight.
Artemis II will pave the way for future moon landings, NASA says
NASA said the Artemis II mission will will pave the way for future moon landings.
‘The Artemis II mission launched from @NASAKennedy at 6:35pm ET (2235 UTC), propelling four astronauts on a journey around the Moon,’ NASA wrote on X.
‘Artemis II will pave the way for future Moon landings, as well as the next giant leap – astronauts on Mars.’
Astronauts get their first look at the moon in space
The Artemis crew captured the first views of Earth and the sun from the capsule window just four minutes after launch.
‘We have a beautiful moon rise,’ Commander Reid Wiseman radioed to teams on the ground. ‘We’re heading right at it.’
Artemis II’s core rocket stage completes mission and detaches from spacecraft
NASA has confirmed that the main engine cutoff of the Space Launch System (SLS) core stage has been completed, marking one of the major milestones in the spacecraft’s journey into space.
The core stage successfully separated from the interim cryogenic propulsion stage and the Orion spacecraft which carries the four astronauts.
This marked the end of the first major propulsion phase of the Artemis II mission. The flight still has to go through with upper-stage operations at the 18-minute mark of the flight.
Kid gives adorable answer on Artemis II launch
A young boy gave an adorable answer when a CNN reporter asked him what he was excited about the Artemis II launch.
‘Why do you want to be here? Why do you love space? Why do you love being a part of history?’ the reporter asked.
The boy answered, ‘We’re going back to the freaking moon, that’s why.’
Artemis II crew declares ‘full send’ as moon launch countdown begins
Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman declared ‘Full send,’ as he and his crewmates sat atop NASA’s towering Space Launch System rocket, confirming they were ready for launch.
From mission control, Artemis II launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson delivered an emotional message to the crew, telling them they carried ‘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 this generation.’
‘Good luck. Godspeed, Artemis II. Let’s go,’ she said, following the final launch checks.
Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman shares photo with daughters before launch
Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman, 50, posted a photo with his two daughters before boarding the spaceship.
‘”Dad, we can’t leave the rocket without a .5 together!!” I love these two ladies, and I’m boarding that rocket a very proud father,’ he wrote on X.
Final countdown begins as NASA confirms Artemis II is ready for launch
NASA officials have completed the launch readiness check and has resumed the final countdown for Artemis II, starting at 10 minutes.
The new launch time is now 6.35pm ET.
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Artemis takes off in historic first mission to the moon in more than 50 years: Live updates
