Watch | Artemis II successfully launches from Kennedy Space Center

NASA on Wednesday (US Time) launched its Artemis II mission, sending astronauts on a historic journey around the Moon for the first time in decades. The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft lifted off from Kennedy Space Center at 6:35 PM EDT, powered by twin solid rocket boosters and four RS-25 engines that together generated 8.8 million pounds of thrust.

The mission is carrying NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. Shortly after liftoff, the rocket’s umbilicals disconnected, allowing the spacecraft to transition to autonomous flight as it began its journey into deep space.

Artemis II is expected to last around 10 days and will test critical systems and hardware needed for future missions. It marks the first crewed flight under NASA’s Artemis programme and is seen as a key step toward sustained lunar exploration and eventual human missions to Mars.

 

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— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 1, 2026

Earlier, Artemis II Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson conducted the critical go/no-go poll ahead of terminal count, with all teams giving a unanimous “go” for Artemis II. The decision clears the mission to proceed into the final 10 minutes before liftoff, marking the culmination of years of planning and intensive pre-launch preparations.

Also Read: Artemis 2: Why did it take 50 years to go back to the Moon