NASA launches Artemis II, marking astronauts’ 1st flight to moon since 1972

NASA said Wednesday that its Artemis II mission successfully launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, sending astronauts to the moon for the first time in more than 50 years.

The Space Launch System rocket carried four astronauts safely into orbit, with the Orion spacecraft now on course for a 10-day journey around the moon and back to Earth.

The crew includes three American astronauts and one Canadian on a mission aimed at testing critical systems needed for future human exploration of deep space.

The launch marks a major milestone in NASA's Artemis program, which seeks to return humans to the moon later this decade and eventually support deeper space exploration.