Posted: Sat, Apr 4, 2026, 10:54 AM ET (1454 GMT)

The first human mission to the moon in more than 50 years successfully launched Wednesday. NASA's Space Launch System rocket lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 6:35 pm EDT (2235 GMT) on the Artemis 2 mission. NASA reported no major issues during the countdown, resolving a few minor problems that arose during the day. The launch placed into Earth orbit the Orion spacecraft with four NASA and Canadian Space Agency astronauts on board. The crew dealt with some spacecraft issues in the hours after launch, including a brief loss of communications and problems setting up the spacecraft's toilet. Orion performed a proximity operations test a few hours after launch, separating from its upper stage and then maneuvering around it.