When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
Humanity is on its way back to the moon as NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) blasts the space agency's Orion space capsule on April 1. The launch was even captured from space!
What is it?
This photo shows NASA's SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft blasting off from the historic Launch Complex 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida at 6:35 p.m. EDT (2235 GMT) on Wednesday, April 1.
The launch is represented by a white plume of smoke seen by the GOES-19 weather satellite.
Why is it amazing?
The Artemis 2 mission represents the first time that humans have visited the moon since the Apollo 17 mission back in 1972. Not only this, but during this mission, the four-person crew of Jeremy Hansen, Christina Koch, Reid Wiseman, and Victor Glover will journey farther into space than any other human before them.
The Artemis 2 mission is scheduled to last for around 10 days. Though the crew won't set foot on the lunar surface during this mission, this sets the scene for the future of the Artemis program, particularly Artemis 4 and 5, which will finally return humans to the moon's surface after over half a century.
Follow along with our Artemis 2 mission live updates page for the latest developments.
LATEST POSTS
- 1
The Force of Care: Living with Goal - 2Monetary Security: Building Serious areas of strength for an Establishment
- 3Here are 10 stores where you can get a free Thanksgiving turkey
- 4Pfizer in $41.5 million settlement with Texas over ADHD drug for children
- 5It Shouldn’t Be Here: Rescuers Race to Save Whale Stranded in Rare Spot
- If evolution is real, then why isn’t it happening now? An anthropologist explains that humans actually are still evolving
- Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin launches landmark Mars mission in New Glenn rocket’s first big test
- Here's how 'Bridgerton' fans can watch the first episode of Season 4 before its Netflix release later this month
- A rare whale is having an encouraging season for births. Scientists warn it might still go extinct
- Picking the Right Pot for Your Plants: An Aide for Plant Devotees
- Figure out How to Get the Best Open Record Rewards
- 100 new alien worlds: Scientists find hidden haul in data from NASA exoplanet-hunting spacecraft
- Novo and Lilly cut prices of weight-loss drugs in China
- AI is making spacecraft propulsion more efficient – and could even lead to nuclear-powered rockets
