Artemis II Launch: A Historic Journey Begins
Update: 3:43pm: Artemis II has successfully completed the first manned flight around the moon in over five decades.
Liftoff: The crew of NASA’s Artemis II has embarked on their lunar mission, marking humanity’s return to deep space after 50 years. 🚀
Update: 3:33pm: NASA has confirmed a “go-no-go” decision for the final countdown of Artemis II, the first crewed mission to orbit the moon since the Apollo missions.
The agency stated that everything is set for launch. “This moment represents years of hard work and planning, bringing us closer to a historic milestone,” NASA said.
Update: 3:13pm: The Artemis II crew has completed their final preparations, with the spacecraft now secured and ready for flight. Launch control will take over during the countdown, NASA noted.
However, there was a brief concern over a sensor in the launch abort system reporting an unusually high temperature, but it’s considered an instrumentation issue and won’t delay the launch, according to officials. They also mentioned the launch likelihood now stands at 90%, with favorable weather conditions.
Update: 2:35pm: Just an hour before the historic launch, NASA announced they resolved a communication issue related to the flight termination system, crucial for public safety during ascent.
“Without assurance of the system’s operational capacity, we wouldn’t be launching today. But our engineers found a solution and are ready for the test,” NASA explained.
The agency assured that tests confirmed the readiness of all hardware for the launch today.
10:59am: The Artemis II rocket is set for liftoff from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the first crewed mission to orbit the moon in decades.
“NASA’s Artemis II crew just completed the traditional walk that all astronauts have done since Apollo 7 in 1968,” the agency stated.
With a favorable weather report, the conditions for launch are deemed good. The four-person crew is set for a 10-day flyby of the moon, concluding with a splashdown off the California coast.
House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed his best wishes for the Artemis II crew on social media, emphasizing the pride felt by the American people as they witness this new chapter in space exploration.
“We’re witnessing a Golden Age reaching new heights,” he tweeted.
Johnson had previously hosted astronauts during a State of the Union address earlier this year.
The White House acknowledged the launch, remarking that Artemis II’s mission around the moon is intended for the collective benefit of all humanity.
This mission follows the 2022 unmanned Artemis I and paves the way for future lunar endeavors. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has indicated plans to accelerate future launches and aim for manned lunar landings by 2028, including constructing a base on the moon as part of a broader strategy for Mars exploration.
“What an exciting day for America’s leadership in space,” stated Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. “Artemis II will take us beyond the moon, and what we learn will propel us towards Mars, starting now.”
