TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - NASA officially launched its Artemis II mission on April 1, sending astronauts toward the Moon for the first time in more than half a century.
The towering 322-foot Space Launch System (SLS) rocket thundered off pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center, rising against a clear blue sky. Crowds gathered along Florida’s Space Coast as the orange core stage and twin white boosters powered the spacecraft into orbit.
According to France24, the Artemis II crew includes three Americans and one Canadian. Reid Wiseman, a former naval aviator, commands the mission, while Victor Glover serves as pilot and becomes the first Black man to travel to the Moon. Christina Koch joins as a mission specialist and is set to become the first woman on a lunar mission, with Jeremy Hansen of Canada completing the crew as the first non-American to fly around the Moon.
As of the current updates, NASA’s Artemis II mission is now in orbit around Earth following its successful launch. The crew will spend nearly 24 hours circling the planet as they carry out a series of spacecraft system checks.
The BBC reported that these tests are critical to ensure the Orion capsule is ready for deep-space travel. Throughout the first flight day, the astronauts will monitor performance and verify onboard systems. If all goes well, the mission will receive the green light to depart Earth orbit and begin its journey around the Moon.
The crew are “safe, secure, and in great spirits,” a NASA official said during a post-launch press conference. Shortly after liftoff, Reid Wiseman described the moment from orbit, saying, “Great view… we have got a great Moonrise.”
Thousands of spectators gathered in downtown Titusville ahead of the Artemis II launch, quickly turning the area into a hub of heavy congestion. By late afternoon, roads across Brevard County were jammed with bumper-to-bumper traffic.
Quoting Florida Today in post-liftoff updates, officials described the gridlock as “Carmageddon.” Major routes, including State Road 406 and U.S. 1, were filled with both vehicles and pedestrians, while traffic near Port Canaveral came to a standstill.
Artemis II will next enter a “free-return” trajectory, using the Moon’s gravity to guide the spacecraft back toward Earth without additional propulsion. The maneuver will carry the crew on a journey lasting about three to four days.
Read: NASA Set to Launch Artemis 2, First Crewed Moon Mission Since 1972
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