New Delhi: NASA on Wednesday successfully launched its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, marking the start of the Artemis II mission – the first crewed journey towards the Moon in over five decades.
The rocket lifted off from Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center at 6:35 p.m. EDT, beginning an approximately 10-day test flight around the Moon and back to Earth, NASA said in a release.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the launch marked a defining moment for space exploration and noted that the mission builds on earlier efforts to return humans to the Moon after more than 50 years. He added that Artemis II represents the beginning of a broader plan to establish a sustained human presence beyond Earth.
The mission carries NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency. It is the first crewed flight under the Artemis programme and aims to test key systems required for future deep space missions.
Officials said the mission will demonstrate life support systems with astronauts onboard and help lay the foundation for future missions to the Moon and eventually Mars.
After reaching space, the Orion spacecraft deployed its solar array wings to generate power, and teams began transitioning the vehicle into flight operations while conducting initial system checks.
NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya said the mission is a critical test phase and noted that the crew will assess the spacecraft’s performance to ensure readiness for future lunar surface missions.
Around 49 minutes after liftoff, the SLS upper stage placed Orion into an elliptical orbit around Earth. A subsequent manoeuvre is expected to send the spacecraft into a high Earth orbit before it separates from the rocket stage and continues its journey independently.
The upper stage is also set to deploy four CubeSats from international space agencies, including Argentina, Germany, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia, to carry out scientific studies and technology demonstrations.
The Artemis II mission marks a major step in NASA’s long-term plan to return humans to the Moon and expand deep space exploration.
