Artemis II mission launched as Nasa astronauts head for the Moon for first time in over 50 years | The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentIndependentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleAndrew Griffin, Anthony Cuthbertson & Vishwam SankaranThursday 02 April 2026 06:33 BSTThe Artemis II rocket has launched (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)The Artemis II mission, the first crewed journey to the Moon since 1972, has successfully launched with four astronauts aboard.Three American and one Canadian astronaut departed from Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 6:35 pm Eastern Time on Wednesday.The 10-day voyage will see the crew orbit the far side of the Moon and return to Earth, without landing on the lunar surface.The mission's goal is to rigorously test the Orion spacecraft's life support, navigation, communication, and manual handling systems.These tests are crucial for establishing a permanent lunar settlement and preparing for the subsequent Artemis III mission, which aims for a Moon landing.In fullArtemis II launch live: Nasa astronauts successfully takeoff as they head towards the MoonThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in