NASA has just officially yeeted four humans back toward the moon for the first time in more than 50 years, and somehow we’re all just… at work. Artemis II has launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, with NASA’s chunky Space Launch System rocket sending the Orion spacecraft on a roughly 10‑day journey that will loop around the moon and back.
It’s the first time anyone has headed beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972, which is a reminder of both how long it has been and how quickly humanity pivoted from walking on the moon to creating AI fruits who cheat on their fruit spouses.
On board are four astronauts: commander Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen. They’re strapped into Orion, riding on top of the 322‑foot rocket that NASA has spent years and billions getting ready to carry humans again. Their job isn’t to land on the lunar surface this time, but to make sure the whole system actually works with real people inside it — from the engines to the life‑support to the surprisingly crucial water dispenser. If Artemis II goes smoothly, it clears the way for future missions that will put boots back on the moon.
The launch itself was quite the event. Artemis II lifted off in the evening from pad 39B, climbing through clear skies as spectators at Cape Canaveral screamed like they were at a Taylor Swift pre‑sale that actually worked.
On NASA’s livestream, commentator Derrol Nail called out, “Engines, booster, ignition and lift off! The crew of Artemis II now bound for the moon, humanity’s next great voyage begins”, as the rocket blasted off. A few minutes later, the core stage separated, Orion’s solar arrays unfolded and flight controllers confirmed the crew had reached orbit, speeding around Earth at more than 15,000 miles an hour.
From inside the capsule, Wiseman gave possibly the most poetic moment of the mission so far, radioing down: “We have a beautiful moonrise, we’re headed right at it.”
The crew were then cleared to lift their visors and start moving around, beginning the long checklist of system checks that will fill their first day in space. They’ll spend nearly 24 hours in high‑Earth orbit testing Orion, including the air quality system and how the interior can be rearranged so four adults can live and work in a space about the size of a small bedroom without wanting to murder each other, before committing to the burn that will send them on their lunar flyby.
There’s not much time for cosmic vibes, either. After about eight and a half hours in space, they only get a four‑hour sleep break before getting back to work.
Still, if Artemis II sticks the landing and brings the crew home safely, it becomes the dress rehearsal that proves NASA is actually ready to return humans to the lunar surface.
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