More than half a century after humans last journeyed to the Moon, four astronauts lifted off in the early hours of Thursday, marking a powerful return to deep space.
The Orion spacecraft, riding atop Nasa’s Space Launch System, thundered out of the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.
Its destination: The Moon.
The Artemis-II mission, Nasa’s first crewed lunar voyage in over 50 years, is commanded by Reid Wiseman and carries a historic crew that includes the first woman, the first person of colour, and the first Canadian astronaut on a round trip to the far side of the Moon.
The launch follows a series of delays, including a last-minute rollback of the rocket and technical fixes to resolve issues such as helium leaks, highlighting the complexity of sending humans beyond Earth orbit once again.
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The Space Launch System (SLS), among the most powerful rockets ever built, lifted off at 3:54 am IST from the iconic launch pad at Kennedy Space Centre, roaring into the sky with the four astronauts secured inside the Orion capsule.
The Orion capsule is set to separate from the rocket nearly eight minutes after liftoff.
Nasa successfully launches four astronauts on a 10-day trip to the Moon
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