The Artemis II mission aims to test systems and hardware needed for future crewed missions to the Moon and Mars. Today, NASA’s Artemis II SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft lifted off from Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center at 6:35 p.m. EDT, marking a pivotal moment in the agency’s Artemis campaign.
The mission, which will last approximately 10 days, includes a crew of four astronauts: NASA’s Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. This is the first crewed flight under NASA’s Artemis program, which seeks to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon.
At liftoff, the SLS rocket’s twin solid rocket boosters generated more than 3.6 million pounds of thrust, contributing to a total of 8.8 million pounds at launch. The Orion spacecraft’s solar array wings have fully deployed, completing a key configuration step for the mission, with each wing featuring 15,000 solar cells and a wingspan of 63 feet.
Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, a key figure in the mission’s planning, stated, “This moment represents the culmination of years of planning and hours of meticulous pre-launch work, bringing the mission to the threshold of history.” The weather conditions have also been favorable, with reports indicating a 90% chance of a successful launch.
The next major milestones for the Artemis II mission include the perigee raise maneuver and apogee raise burn, crucial steps in the mission’s trajectory. NASA’s launch broadcast coverage is currently airing on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and YouTube, allowing audiences worldwide to witness this historic event.
