NASA launches Artemis II astronauts into space in historic moon mission

After weeks of delays, NASA launched the Artemis II into space at 6:35 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

The twin solid rocket boosters, which provided 80% thrust, detached after successfully doing their job at 6:37 p.m. ET., while the shuttle entered Earth’s orbit nine minutes into the mission at 6:44 p.m. ET. All four solar arrays were deployed and latched at 6:59 p.m. ET.

“NASA astronauts commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch and Canadian space agency mission specialist Jeremy Hansen are safe. They’re secure and they’re in great spirits,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said during the post-launch press conference. “We’ll continue to monitor their health and their status as we move into the next phase of the Artemis II mission.”

Ahead of the launch, Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, the launch director for NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program, told the Artemis II crew that with them are “the hopes and dreams of a new generation.”

“On this historic mission, you take with you the heart of the Artemis team, the daring spirit of the American people and our partners across the globe, and the hopes and dreams of a new generation,” she said, according to NBC.

Wiseman told NASA controllers on the ground that the crew could see their destination.

“We have a beautiful moonrise, we’re headed right at it,” he said.

Prior to takeoff, the shuttle had some minor hiccups before being cleared to go. A battery problem was detected after launch controllers saw abnormal readings, but it was fixed and did not affect the launch.

The weather forecast for launch at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., showed an 80% chance of favorable conditions, “with primary concerns being cloud coverage and the potential for high winds in the area,” according to NASA. The weather became 90% go for launch.

The first launch window opened at 6:24 p.m. ET on Wednesday. The astronauts said goodbye to their families and made their way to the launchpad, and the shuttle was fully fueled.

“All of our planned work is complete,” Blackwell-Thompson said during a prelaunch press conference on Monday afternoon. “All indications are, right now, we’re in excellent, excellent shape.”

Last month, NASA had to roll its massive Space Launch System rocket, weighing 11 million pounds, back to its hangar to repair an issue that would affect the proper flow of fuel into the rocket’s engines.

Engineers discovered the issue with the 322-foot-tall rocket less than 24 hours after a successful wet dress rehearsal, an hourlong test that involves fully loading the rocket with more than 700,000 gallons of cryogenic propellant and running through a simulated launch countdown.

The SLS rocket was successfully rolled back out to the launchpad — a 4-mile journey that took about 12 hours — on March 20.

Here’s what to know about the launch and mission.

What is the Artemis program’s mission?

The Artemis program is NASA’s long-term mission to return humans to the moon to establish a continuous human presence. The goal is to develop a lunar settlement on the south pole, a region where it’s believed water ice is abundant and could be used for drinking, breathing and as a source for rocket fuel.

Artemis’ long-term mission is to also lay the foundation for future crewed missions to Mars. The program is building on the legacy of the Apollo-era missions to the moon in the late 1960s and early ’70s. The Artemis program is aptly named after the ancient Greek goddess of the moon, twin sister of Apollo.

Also read: Artemis will take Americans to the moon for the 1st time since 1972. Why has it been so hard to go back?

The program consists of a series of missions that started with Artemis I. The integrated flight test was successfully completed in November 2022, involving NASA’s deep space exploration systems. Those include the Orion spacecraft, the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and upgraded systems at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla.

What is the goal of the Artemis II mission?

The Artemis II mission will be the first U.S. human lunar spaceflight in over 50 years. It will also be the first time that NASA’s SLS rocket and Orion capsule will be crewed.

“Artemis II, the first crewed Artemis flight, marks a key step toward long-term return to the moon and future missions to Mars,” NASA says on its website.

The four astronauts on Artemis II won’t be landing on the moon; instead, they’ll venture 600,000 miles around the moon and will return at 30 times the speed of sound, according to NASA. During their 10-day trip, they’ll test life support systems in the Orion capsule for future crewed missions to the moon’s surface. A moon landing would occur during Artemis III, which is targeted to launch sometime in 2027.

During their journey, the astronauts will collect critical information for those future missions, including conducting experiments as “both scientists and test subjects” to help scientists understand how long-distance space travel may affect the human body.

“The information we learn from the Artemis II test flight will inform future missions and help NASA pave the way for the next era of exploration on the moon and Mars,” the agency said in a video posted to social media.

Who are the Artemis II crew members?

NASA’s Wiseman, Glover and Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Hansen are the crew members for Artemis II. Koch became the first woman to travel to lunar space, while Glover was the first person of color to do so.

The crew members arrived at Kennedy Space Center on March 27 and were in protective quarantine ahead of their flight.

“They have been following a controlled sleep schedule and nutrition plan to maintain energy and hydration for launch, while continuing to receive regular updates on the rocket’s configuration and weather conditions from crew quarters,” NASA said.

And they sounded like they were ready.

“Hey, let’s go to the moon!” Wiseman told reporters upon his arrival. “I think the nation and the world has been waiting a long time to do this again.”