Nasa has launched four astronauts on a historic mission around the Moon, marking the first time humans have travelled toward lunar orbit since 1972.
The Artemis II spacecraft lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida late on Wednesday, following years of delays and technical challenges. The mission will see the crew spend around 10 days in space, travelling to the far side of the Moon before returning to Earth.
Although the astronauts will not land, the flight is designed as a critical test of systems needed for future missions, including a planned lunar landing later this decade.
US vows long-term return to the Moon
Following the launch, Nasa administrator Jared Isaacman said the mission marked the beginning of a sustained American presence beyond Earth orbit.
He said: “America will never give up the Moon again”.
Mr Isaacman added that renewed global competition had sharpened the agency’s focus.
“We certainly have competition now, and that’s why you’re seeing us start to concentrate our resources back to the objective,” he said.
“And this one’s going to be close, and I think as a result, you’re going to see a lot more progress.”
He added: “The US is back in the business of sending astronauts back to the Moon.”
The comments reflect growing strategic pressure, as China continues to advance its own lunar ambitions, including plans to land astronauts on the Moon within the coming decade.
US president Donald Trump also praised the mission, saying the country was “winning, in space, on Earth, and everywhere in between – economically, militarily, and now, beyond the stars.”
“They are on the way,” he said. “God bless them. These are brave people. We want to go.”
A high-stakes test flight
The Artemis II mission is intended to validate life support systems and spacecraft performance in deep space, laying the groundwork for a planned Moon landing, currently targeted for 2028.
The crew, Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, are expected to travel further from Earth than any humans in history.
It will take approximately five days to reach the Moon, where the spacecraft will loop around the far side before heading back toward Earth for a planned splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego.
Launch followed last-minute technical concerns
The successful lift-off came after engineers resolved a series of late-stage technical issues.
These included checks on the rocket’s flight termination system, designed to destroy the vehicle if it veers off course, and concerns over a battery in the launch abort system that was running hotter than expected. The countdown was briefly paused before proceeding.
The 322ft Space Launch System rocket eventually lifted off at 11:35pm local time, accelerating to around 17,000mph, roughly 22 times the speed of sound.
Early in-flight issues reported
After reaching orbit, Nasa said teams were still addressing minor technical issues.
Engineers temporarily lost two-way communication with the spacecraft for several minutes roughly an hour after launch. There were also reported problems with the onboard lavatory and a valve connected to the water system.
Despite this, officials said the crew were performing well.
Norm Knight, director of flight operations, said: “They’re very busy. It’s tough physiologically, and it’s tough on the workload issue as well.
“Day one and flight day two might not feel like eating a lot. Your body is acclimating to zero G, your physiology is transitioning from 1G environment to zero G, and it takes a little bit of adapting.
“So right now, they’re working hard. They are doing what they need to do. They sound great on the loops. That was really a good signal to us, that they’re feeling well.”
Scientific and historic significance
Scientists say the mission will also provide a rare opportunity to study parts of the Moon never directly observed by humans.
Nicky Fox, associate administrator for Nasa’s Science Mission Directorate, said: “They are going to be seeing pieces of the Moon that no human eyes have seen before, which is really spectacular.”
Crowds gathered along Florida’s Space Coast to witness the launch, underscoring the global interest in humanity’s return to deep space exploration.
A step toward a permanent lunar presence
Artemis II is the first crewed mission in Nasa’s Artemis programme and is intended to pave the way for more ambitious goals, including establishing a long-term human presence on the Moon.
The next mission, Artemis III, is expected to attempt a lunar landing and could mark the first time astronauts return to the Moon’s surface in more than half a century.
Mr Isaacman said success for the current mission would be judged on a safe return.
“We’ll call it success when they’re in the water safely, and we’ll start working on the next mission.”
