Artemis Program · Wired
The launch was successful and occurred on schedule
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The launch window opened on Wednesday, April 1, at 6:24 pm Eastern Time (EDT) and could have been extended for two hours, if necessary.
Key facts
- The launch window opened on Wednesday, April 1, at 6:24 pm Eastern Time (EDT) and could have been extended for two hours, if necessary
- At 6:36 pm Cape Canaveral time, NASA’s SLS rocket lifted off without incident with the four members of the Artemis II spacecraft aboard
- Instead, their capsule will fly at altitudes between 6,000 and 9,000 kilometers above the surface of the far side of the moon, circle it, and begin the return journey to Earth
- The Artemis II crew will not land on the moon (that will happen on Artemis IV )
Summary
At 6:36 pm Cape Canaveral time, NASA’s SLS rocket lifted off without incident with the four members of the Artemis II spacecraft aboard. The mission includes the first woman and the first Black person on a crewed mission to lunar orbit. The Artemis II crew will not land on the moon (that will happen on Artemis IV ). Once they achieve this, NASA will begin preparations for new moon landings in the following years, which will aim to establish the first lunar bases in history and, with them, the sustained and sustainable presence of humans on the satellite. The launch was successful and occurred on schedule.