Historic Launch: Artemis II Takes Off for the Moon

Thu Apr 02 2026 06:53:55 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

NASA's Artemis II mission successfully launched from Florida's Kennedy Space Center, marking a significant step towards future lunar exploration.

This morning, NASA's Artemis II mission launched, carrying a crew of four on a historic journey around the Moon. As the SLS rocket roared to life, the launch was met with cheers and emotional responses from spectators and NASA staff alike. After overcoming launch-day challenges with the abort system, the mission is seen as a beacon for future exploration and collaboration in space travel.

Nasa's Artemis II mission thundered away from Florida's coast, taking its four crew members on their historic journey to circle the Moon.

There was a deep rumbling as a sheet of brilliant white flame suddenly erupted, momentarily engulfing the whole launch pad as the mightiest rocket Nasa has ever built rose into the sky.

Nasa's Space Launch System (SLS) majestically crept upwards - slow at first, then gathering pace, riding on two blinding pillars of flame that crackled and roared with increasing volume until the rumbling was almost deafening, a sound we could feel in our bodies as we watched on in amazement.

There were small cheers from those in the know as the rocket passed the moment of maximum danger - one minute and 10 seconds into the launch. This is where the pressure hits the rocket the hardest, and when engineers know that even a small structural weakness can be disastrous.

There was no weakness, and SLS arced out over the Atlantic like a fiery white angel, leaving a white smoky trail as the sound subsided and the spacecraft disappeared from view, shrinking to a single bright star as it chased the Moon.

Afterwards, there was a giddy euphoria among staff at the Kennedy Space Center. One person told me they felt quite emotional, and another said they wanted to cry – a release of tension built up over the past few months when Artemis II came close to launch but ended up being scrubbed for various reasons.

Tonight, though, Nasa employees were laughing and clapping - this is the moment that they have spent years working towards. There is still work to do, but for now they are bathing in the moment of triumph.

The Kennedy Space Center was built to send astronauts to the Moon, but that hasn't happened since 1972 when Apollo 17 blasted off. Today, the center was back in business, doing what it was made for.

As the countdown clock restarted, atmosphere turned to electric anticipation. The four RS 25 engines and twin solid rocket boosters lit up, driving more than 8.8 million pounds of thrust into the Florida evening sky. God Speed Artemis II Blackwell-Thompson said, echoing the sentiment from the past.

Today marks the return of the dream of lunar exploration in a big way, putting humanity on a path back to the Moon and beyond.