NASA's Artemis II mission launched on April 1, 2026, from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39B. The SLS rocket carrying NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen lifted off at 6:35 p.m. EDT. The approximately 10-day crewed mission will send humans around the Moon for the first time in over 50 years, potentially breaking the Apollo 13 distance record. Key milestones covered include propellant tanking operations, crew suit-up and boarding, countdown terminal sequence, solid rocket booster separation, core stage cutoff and separation, and successful solar array wing deployment. Upcoming milestones include perigee raise and apogee raise burns, a proximity operations demonstration, and the lunar flyby.
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