Artemis 2 heads to the Moon with four astronauts

The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has successfully launched its crewed Artemis 2 mission to the Moon. The flight is expected to last ten days. The four astronauts lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at approximately 6.35 p.m. local time (0.35 a.m. CEST on Thursday).

The Space Launch System rocket, carrying the Orion crew capsule, sent its first crew – three American astronauts, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen – into Earth orbit.

From there, the Orion spacecraft will continue its journey towards the Moon. As part of the mission, it will perform a so-called free-return trajectory, looping once around the Moon before heading back to Earth under the influence of gravity. Rather than entering lunar orbit, the spacecraft will pass at an altitude of about 7,000 kilometres. At its closest approach, the crew will have roughly three hours to observe the Moon and will temporarily lose contact with Earth.

NASA director Jared Isaacman described the launch as the opening act for subsequent missions, including the construction of a lunar base to support ‘the enduring presence we're trying to establish on the surface’ (of the Moon).

US President Donald Trump had already hailed NASA’s first crewed mission to the Moon in more than half a century as a success even before the launch.

(reuters)