NASA launches Artemis II mission with four-person crew

NASA launched the Artemis II mission from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the first crewed flight to the vicinity of the moon in 53 years. The mission features a 32-story Space Launch System rocket carrying the Orion capsule with four astronauts: NASA's Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. This 10-day expedition serves as a critical test flight for the Artemis program, which has cost approximately $93 billion since 2012. The crew is traveling deeper into space than humans have previously gone, serving as a rehearsal for future lunar landings. NASA aims to return humans to the lunar surface by 2028, amidst geopolitical competition with China, which targets a 2030 crewed moon landing. The mission is part of a broader strategy to establish an enduring lunar base and utilize moon resources like water and rare earth metals. If the launch had been delayed, NASA had backup opportunities available until April 30.