NASA sent astronauts to the Moon for the first time in over 50 years.

NASA has launched the Artemis II mission — the first crewed flight to the Moon in more than half a century. The rocket lifted off from a launch site in Florida, carrying four astronauts: three from the United States and one from Canada.

For the first 25 hours, the crew will remain in Earth orbit, testing the spacecraft's systems. Then, a maneuver will be performed to set a course for the Moon. The entire mission will last approximately 10 days.

Unlike the historic Apollo program, this flight does not involve entering lunar orbit. The spacecraft will perform a flyby, coming within about 6,400 kilometers of the Moon before returning to Earth for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

The mission will set a new record: the astronauts will travel farther from Earth than anyone has before. Additionally, this is the first crewed launch of the Space Launch System rocket.

The Artemis program aims to establish a long-term human presence on the Moon and create a foundation for future missions. The next phase is expected to lead to astronauts landing on the lunar surface by 2028.

The launch is also seen as part of a technological rivalry with China, which plans to send humans to the Moon by 2030.

Source: nasa.gov