NASA has launched Artemis II, sending four astronauts on a mission around the Moon in a major milestone for modern space exploration. The spacecraft lifted off on Wednesday and entered Earth orbit before preparing for the engine burn that will send it on a roughly 240 000-mile journey towards the Moon.

A Return to Deep Space

The mission is a big one for NASA. Artemis II is the first crewed mission in the Artemis programme and the first time astronauts have travelled beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in December 1972. That gives the launch real weight, especially as space agencies race to return humans to the Moon after more than five decades.

Inside the Orion capsule, the crew began work soon after launch. According to Cape Town ETC, astronauts carried out checks to see how the spacecraft handled the climb into orbit, with speeds reaching 17 500mph. Mission teams in Houston also confirmed that all four solar arrays deployed successfully, helping secure power for the trip.

Who is on Board

The crew is led by commander Reid Wiseman. He is joined by pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen. NASA says the flight is expected to last about 10 days and will take the astronauts around the Moon before returning to Earth.

The mission also carries several historic firsts. Cape Town ETC reports that Koch is set to become the first woman to travel into cislunar space, while Glover will be the first person of colour to do so. Hansen is also set to become the first non-American to travel that far from Earth.

Why Artemis II Matters

Artemis II will not land on the Moon, but it is laying the groundwork for future missions that could. The flight is also expected to push human spaceflight farther than ever before, beyond the distance record set during Apollo 13 in 1970.