02.04.2026 09:45
NASA has completed its first crewed journey to the Moon with the "Artemis II mission" after 54 years. The Orion spacecraft, launched from Florida, has made history. The four-member crew will capture images of previously unseen parts of the Moon for about 10 days. The team's mission, which will not involve landing on the Moon, is seen as a preparatory step for the "Artemis III mission," which aims to land on the Moon.
THE NEW U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has launched its first mission to the Moon under the Artemis II program after more than 50 years.
FIRST CREWED JOURNEY TO THE MOON IN 54 YEARS
The Artemis II mission, which is the second phase of the Artemis I program completed in December 2022 with the return of NASA's Orion spacecraft after a tour around the Moon, was launched from Florida's Kennedy Space Center.
The launch, which will be the first crewed journey to the Moon since 1972, took place with a delay of about 15 minutes.
During the first crewed journey around the Moon after approximately 54 years, it was reported that the spacecraft reached an altitude of about 100 kilometers, approached the atmospheric boundary, and the main engine separated from the Orion capsule eight minutes after launch.
THE CREW CONSISTS OF 4 PEOPLE
The Artemis II crew includes NASA Astronaut Reid Wiseman and flight pilot Victor Glover, as well as mission specialists NASA Astronaut Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
The team of four will test the systems on the spacecraft, capture images of previously unseen parts of the Moon, and explore potential landing areas for future missions during their approximately 10-day mission.
THEY WILL NOT LAND ON THE MOON
Although the NASA Artemis II mission crew will not land on the Moon, this mission is seen as a preparatory step for the Artemis III mission, which aims for a Moon landing.
FIRST WOMAN STEPPING INTO DEEP SPACE: CHRISTINA KOCH
In the first flight beyond the atmosphere with both a woman and an African American, astronaut Christina Koch will earn the title of the first woman to step into deep space with her journey around the Moon as one of the two specialists in the Artemis II mission.
LAUNCH MOMENT WATCHED WITH INTEREST
Hours before the historic journey, thousands gathered at Cocoa Beach Pier, about 32 kilometers south of Kennedy Space Center.
The group of space enthusiasts began waiting early in the day to find a viewing spot along the beach, while some enthusiasts flew in from different states to witness this historic moment.
At 16:24 local time on the U.S. East Coast, the vehicle launched from the space center in Cape Canaveral and quickly ascended into the sky, becoming invisible within seconds.
The flight, originally scheduled for March, was postponed to April due to a liquid hydrogen leak and technical issues.
THEY WILL SEE PREVIOUSLY UNSEEN PARTS OF THE MOON
The Artemis II mission will be followed through a live broadcast using low-resolution cameras mounted outside the space capsule. The data obtained during the mission will be shared with the public afterward.
As part of this mission, new observations will be made of parts of the Moon that have never been seen by the human eye, and the data will be used to identify potential landing sites for the future.
NASA has announced that the Artemis III mission, which is planned to last about 30 days and aims for a Moon landing, is targeted to be launched by 2028.
Artemis I was launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center on November 16, 2022, and during the approximately 26-day test flight that orbited the Moon and included the return journey to Earth, there were no astronauts aboard the Orion capsule.