NASA has successfully launched a rocket carrying four astronauts to the Moon for the first time in half a century.
The Artemis II mission blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen will embark on a 10 day trip looping around the Moon, the closest anyone has got since the last Apollo mission in 1972.
While they won’t land on the lunar surface, the crew are expected to break the record for the farthest anyone has traveled from Earth at more than 250,000 miles.
The launch comes after several major delays caused by Covid lockdowns and technical snags, having originally been projected for around 2019 to 2021.
The rocket was last meant to lift off in early February but had to be delayed due to hydrogen fuel leaks.
In the hours leading up to the launch on Wednesday, a string of technical issues on board the aircraft were reported – but engineers quickly confirmed that they would not affect the take-off.
Stunning footage showed the huge rocket blasting off into space with its massive engines heard roaring and spewing fireballs towards the ground.
Crowds of spectators were heard cheering as it launched away from planet Earth without a hiccup.
The Artemis programme is a key part of Nasa’s plans to delve deeper into space, with hopes of establishing a permanent base on the lunar surface – and to fend off competition from China, which has its own grand ambitions.
Artemis III will be another crewed test flight in mid-2027, followed by Artemis IV in 2028 which could see boots returning to the lunar surface once again.
Today’s launch marks some big firsts for space, including the first non-American to travel around the Moon, Jeremy Hansen, who is from the Canadian Space Agency.
King Charles wrote to Hansen ahead of the launch, saying: “It is with immense pride and a profound sense of shared purpose that I write to you as you prepare to embark upon the Artemis II mission – the first crewed voyage beyond low Earth orbit since the dawn of the Space Age.
“As the first Canadian to venture to the Moon, you carry not only the hopes of your fellow Canadians and the Commonwealth, but also the aspirations of humanity itself.”
Other major milestones include Glover being the first person of colour and Koch the first woman.
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