Four astronauts depart for moon mission as NASA restarts lunar programme after five decades

Four astronauts lifted off from Florida aboard NASA’s Artemis II mission on Wednesday, marking the first crewed lunar mission in more than five decades.

The Space Launch System rocket carrying the Orion crew capsule launched into orbit from the Kennedy Space Centre. The mission is NASA’s first human flight around the Moon since the Apollo era.

The crew includes NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. The four are set to undertake a mission lasting nearly 10 days, during which they will travel around the Moon without landing.

Moments before liftoff, Hansen told mission control, “We are going for all humanity.”

The launch followed final system checks, with weather conditions reported to be largely favourable. NASA’s launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson addressed the crew before departure, saying, “Reid, Victor, Christina and Jeremy: On this mission, you take with you the heart of this Artemis team, the spirit of the American people and our partners across the globe, and the hopes and dreams of a new generation. Good luck. God speed Artemis 2.”

The Artemis II mission is the first time NASA’s Space Launch System rocket has carried astronauts. During the flight, the crew will conduct system tests to assess the spacecraft’s performance and safety, including manual piloting operations during docking simulations.

The mission is part of NASA’s Artemis programme, which aims to return humans to the Moon for the first time since 1972. It also marks the first time a woman, a person of colour and a non-American are part of a lunar mission crew.

NASA plans to follow Artemis II with Artemis III, scheduled for 2027. That mission is expected to involve the Orion capsule docking in Earth’s orbit with lunar lander systems developed by Blue Origin and SpaceX. 

The programme’s first crewed lunar landing is currently targeted for 2028 under Artemis IV. NASA has faced delays in earlier timelines, with adjustments made under new administrator Jared Isaacman.

The United States is also moving forward with the Artemis programme as China advances its own plans to send astronauts to the Moon, with a target set for around 2030.