STORY: NASA launched the Artemis II mission from Florida on Wednesday (April 1), sending four astronauts on a nearly ten-day journey around the moon and back.
The Space Launch System rocket lifted off from Kennedy Space Center just before sunset, carrying three American astronauts and one Canadian astronaut inside its Orion space capsule.
Crowds gathered nearby to watch the historic liftoff.
Artemis II is the first crewed flight for NASA's Artemis program, and will take humans farther from Earth than ever before - some 252,000 miles.
In a press conference following the launch, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said there was a partial loss of communications with the Orion spacecraft about 51 minutes into the mission, but he said communications had since been fully restored.
"They're secure, and they're in great spirits. We will continue to monitor their health and the status as they, as we move into the next phase of the Artemis II mission. So after a brief 54 year intermission, NASA is back in the business of sending astronauts to the moon. We arrived at this point through a sustained effort, a national commitment, and the work of thousands across the agency, our industry partners and our international allies."
The mission is a major test as NASA works toward landing astronauts on the Moon in 2028 -- more than 50 years after the Apollo lunar landings.
Competition is also heating up with China, which has plans for its own lunar landing by around 2030.
"Competition can be a good thing, and we certainly have competition now."
"And I think as a result, you're going to see a lot more progress, more so than you have in the, you know, since when this was originally conceived under Constellation. We're going to get back into the business of launching rockets on a regular cadence. And we're going to bring the world along with us."
NASA launched its first crewless Artemis mission in 2022, sending the Orion spacecraft on a similar path around the moon and back.
