A rocket carrying four astronauts successfully blasted off from Florida on Wednesday evening, kicking off the first human mission to the moon in over 50 years. The crew, consisting of three Americans and a Canadian, will orbit the moon but not land on its surface.
The launch was witnessed by thousands of spectators along Central Florida’s Space Coast, who cheered as the powerful rocket soared into the clear sky at 6:35 p.m. Eastern time. The astronauts are now en route to their destination, with NASA Commander Reid Wiseman saying they will be “headed right at it” for a beautiful moonrise.
The Artemis II mission marks an important step towards future human visits to the moon and is being closely watched by space enthusiasts worldwide.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/01/science/artemis-ii-nasa-moon-launch.html