The Artemis II lunar mission got off to an almost perfect start
NASA’s Artemis II crew launches to the moon
NASA’s Artemis II crew launches to the moon
After a successful launch, the crew of the Artemis II is on their way to making history.
Despite a brief delay while NASA made some final preparations, the Orion spacecraft — powered by the Space Launch System — lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida shortly after 6:30 p.m. ET, just after the launch window opened.
In an update after launch, NASA officials said four astronauts were on board – including mission specialist Jeremy Hansen of London, Ontario. – are safe and secure on board the Orion.
Over the next ten days, the crew will collect scientific data that could one day help humans reach even further into space.
If everything goes according to plan, the crew will fly by the moon in six days. Then Artemis II will also make history by surpassing the distance record of the Apollo missions and penetrating deeper into space than humans have ever done before.
After orbiting the moon, Orion will take about four days to return to Earth. The crew is expected to jettison on April 10.
We are concluding our live updates on this page, but you can continue to follow our coverage of the mission at cbc.ca/news.