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Astronauts Begin NASA Lunar Mission After Climactic Blast-Off
The mission will test the SLS rocket and Orion capsule on their first crewed flight and move NASA toward a lunar landing in 2028.
- On Wednesday, April 1, 2026, NASA launched the Artemis II mission from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, sending four astronauts on a 10-day lunar flyby—the first crewed deep-space mission since 1972.
- The Artemis program, created in 2017 to establish long-term lunar presence, designed this mission as a rigorous systems test for the Orion spacecraft, carrying Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen—the first non-U.S. citizen beyond low-Earth orbit.
- Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch joined Hansen aboard the spacecraft. "We are going for all humanity," Hansen said during final checks. The Space Launch System rocket generated approximately 9 million pounds of thrust at liftoff.
- Shortly after launch, the crew entered Earth's orbit to perform safety checks on the Orion spacecraft. If manual piloting tests succeed, they will venture toward the Moon on Thursday for a three-day loop before returning.
- Success clears the path for a lunar landing by 2028, as President Donald Trump has pressured the program to accelerate progress. The United States competes with China, which aims to land astronauts on the Moon by 2030.
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NASA’s crewed rocket lifts off to begin 10-day lunar journey – and here are the four astronauts on board
Four astronauts blasted off from Florida on Wednesday on NASA's Artemis II mission, a high-stakes voyage around the moon that marks the United States' boldest step yet toward returning humans to the lunar surface later this decade in a race with China.
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources40
Leaning Left8Leaning Right6Center14Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Center
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources are Center
50% Center
L 29%
C 50%
R 21%
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