NASA‘s Artemis II rocket lifted off on Wednesday from Cape Canaveral, Florida, sending astronauts back into deep space for the first time in 53 years.
Crowds cheered as the rocket blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center at 6:35 p.m., sending astronauts to the moon for the first time since 1972, though the crew will not land there on this mission. The crew of four includes Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen. After launching nearly 9 million pounds of thrust off the Earth, the Orion capsule is traveling around the moon during the 10-day mission before returning.
The Artemis II moon mission was originally scheduled for February and was hailed by President Donald Trump this week as a win for the United States.
“We are WINNING, in Space, on Earth, and everywhere in between,” the president wrote on Truth Social. “Economically, Militarily, and now, BEYOND THE STARS. Nobody comes close! America doesn’t just compete, we DOMINATE, and the whole World is watching.”
The mission could travel farther from Earth than any human ever has, as the four astronauts are flying at supersonic speeds to travel 250,000 miles away.
HOW JARED ISAACMAN’S NOMINATION AS NASA CHIEF HAS CHANGED THE ARTEMIS MOON MISSION
“Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy, 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. Good luck, Godspeed, Artemis II. Let’s go,” Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, NASA’s launch director, told the Artemis II crew ahead of the historic launch.
At the conclusion of their journey, the crew will splash down in the Pacific Ocean. As the Orion capsule approaches Earth, it will be traveling at 25,000 mph.
