E-Paper
Watch: NASA launches Artemis II, first crewed Moon mission in over 50 years
NASA is launching Artemis 2, sending astronauts around the Moon for the first time since 1972.
More than 50 years after the last human journey beyond Earth’s orbit, NASA on Wednesday launched astronauts around the Moon again with the Artemis 2 mission.
The launch took place between its designated window - 6:24pm ET to 8:24pm ET - from Kennedy Space Center. A powerful rocket is carrying four NASA astronauts, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen on a 10-day journey around the Moon before returning to Earth.
Although the crew will not land on the Moon and will remain thousands of miles away at their closest point, the mission is an important step toward future lunar landings. It will test life support and other systems of the Orion spacecraft which is designed to carry humans into space, per NASA.
NASA plans to send astronauts to land on the Moon in future missions, possibly as early as 2028 using additional spacecraft built by private companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin.
However, the last time astronauts walked on the Moon was during the Apollo 17 mission in December 1972. After that, interest in lunar exploration declined and NASA shifted its focus to missions closer to Earth including the space shuttle program and the International Space Station.
The Artemis program was revived during the presidency of Donald Trump and continued under his successor with Artemis I successfully flying an uncrewed mission around the Moon in 2022.
Journey around the Moon
The astronauts travelled aboard the Space Launch System rocket which is 322 feet tall and weighs 5.75 million pounds when fully fueled. Once in space, they will continue their journey in the Orion capsule.
Also read: Artemis 2 cost explained: How much did NASA spend on latest Moon mission? Who is paying for it?
During the mission, the crew will travel as far as about 43,000 miles from the Earth heading towards the moon. If the mission stayed within the planned path the the astronauts could set a record for the farthest distance humans have travelled from Earth, going beyond what was reached during Apollo 13.
Astronauts revealed personal items for the journey
According to BBC, Artemis II crew shared the personal items they carried on their historic trip around the Moon.
Pilot Victor Glover carried his Bible, while Jeremy Hansen brought family pendants. Commander Reid Wiseman took a notepad and pencil and Christina Koch carried handwritten messages from loved ones.
