Artemis II lifts off: Four astronauts set out on historic moon journey

The Artemis II mission lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in the United States early Thursday, carrying four astronauts on a historic journey beyond low Earth orbit for the first time in over five decades

The crew, comprising Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen, began their mission to travel to the Moon, loop around it, and return to Earth over a span of about ten days

The mission marks the first human journey into deep space since the era of the Apollo program, when astronauts last ventured beyond low Earth orbit during missions that landed humans on the Moon

Unlike previous spaceflights that remained within low Earth orbit at altitudes of around 400 kilometres, Artemis II is designed to take astronauts significantly farther, potentially exceeding the distances achieved during the Apollo missions

The mission carries historic significance as Christina Koch becomes the first woman to travel to the Moon’s vicinity, marking a major milestone in human space exploration

As part of the broader Artemis program, the mission serves as a crucial step toward establishing a sustained human presence on the Moon, including plans for long-term habitation and resource utilisation

During the flyby mission aboard the Orion spacecraft, astronauts are set to conduct scientific observations, including studying geological features such as impact craters and ancient lava flows on the far side of the Moon

The Artemis II mission serves as a rehearsal for a successor mission planned in 2028 that is expected to land humans on the Moon, marking the first such mission since Apollo 17