Four astronauts blasted off aboard a powerful NASA rocket on Wednesday, marking the first crewed lunar flyby mission in more than 50 years.
The spacecraft lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida at around 6:35 p.m. local time, carrying three American astronauts—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch—alongside Canadian Jeremy Hansen.
The astronauts on the Artemis II lunar mission are currently orbiting Earth while conducting critical system checks on the Orion spacecraft, which has not previously carried humans. Early tests included proximity operations to simulate future docking maneuvers with a lunar lander. Officials reported minor technical issues, including a temporary communication glitch and a small problem with onboard equipment, but confirmed both were resolved.
If all goes according to plan, the astronauts will depart Earth orbit and begin their three-day journey toward the Moon, where they will fly around it before returning home.
The voyage should last approximately 10 days in total, and aims to pave the way for a Moon landing in 2028.
