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Nasa’s Artemis II mission successfully lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday, marking the first crewed journey toward the Moon in more than 50 years since Apollo 17.
The mission, using the powerful Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft, will see four astronauts orbit the Moon and return safely to Earth without landing.Footage from aboard a commercial aircraft shows a unique perspective of its launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The video, now viral on social media, shows the Artemis II soaring skyward, beginning its landmark journey around the Moon.
The crew aboard includes Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen. Over a 10-day mission, they will conduct crucial tests to ensure the spacecraft’s systems are fully functional and safe for human travel. Among the key objectives are manual docking simulations and other operational checks, paving the way for future lunar missions.Artemis II also makes history by carrying the first woman and the first person of colour into cislunar space — the region between the Earth and the Moon.
The mission follows the success of Artemis I, Nasa’s uncrewed test flight in 2022, and will demonstrate a range of capabilities necessary for deep space exploration. Artemis II marks the first human mission aboard the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft, setting the stage for the agency’s ambitious lunar exploration plans.
