Artemis II Mission Launches Successfully

NASA's Artemis II lifted off from Cape Canaveral at 6:36 p.m. local time with four crew aboard Orion; the roughly 10-day mission will test systems in Earth orbit and then fly around the far side of the Moon without landing.

NASA's Artemis II mission lifted off from Cape Canaveral at 6:36 p.m. local time aboard a Space Launch System rocket. The four-person crew is traveling inside the Orion capsule and will run navigation and systems checks during the first day in Earth orbit. Around the third or fourth day the spacecraft will begin its trajectory toward the Moon and cross the Moon's sphere of influence. The mission is expected to last about 10 days. Key facts: - The launch occurred on schedule and without incident at 6:36 p.m. Cape Canaveral time. - The crew includes the first woman and the first Black person on a crewed mission to lunar orbit, as reported. - Artemis II will not land; the capsule will fly at roughly 6,000 to 9,000 kilometers above the far side of the Moon and then return to Earth. - The spacecraft will be out of contact with Earth for about 50 minutes while it passes behind the Moon and will collect images and data during that period. - The mission's primary objective is to demonstrate the agency's ability to send people to the Moon and complete systems tests before future crewed lunar landings. Summary: The mission represents a test of Orion and related systems in both Earth orbit and lunar transit and will validate procedures for future crewed lunar missions. Following the return, NASA plans to continue preparations for subsequent Artemis missions that aim to include lunar landings and longer-term operations on the Moon.