Artemis II launch LIVE updates: NASA’s Orion spacecraft is now orbiting Earth as astronauts perform system checks and fix onboard issues. The historic 10-day crewed mission will soon head for a Moon f

NASA's Artemis II mission, which launched on Wednesday, is humanity’s first lunar voyage in more than half a century and the thrilling leadoff in NASA’s push toward a landing in two years. The mission is expected to last about 10 days, sending four astronauts on a high-speed journey around the moon and back in the first crewed lunar mission since the Apollo era.

Artemis II is designed to pave the way for future missions aimed at returning astronauts to the lunar surface later this decade. Carrying three Americans and one Canadian, the 32-story rocket rose from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center where tens of thousands gathered to witness the dawn of this new era. It is NASA’s biggest step yet toward establishing a permanent lunar presence.

Five minutes into the flight, Commander Reid Wiseman saw the team’s target: “We have a beautiful moonrise, we’re headed right at it,” he said from the capsule. On board with him are pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canada's Jeremy Hansen. It was the most diverse lunar crew ever with the first woman, person of color and non-U. S. citizen riding in NASA’s new Orion capsule.

The astronauts will stick close to home for the first 25 hours of their 10-day test flight, checking out the capsule in orbit around Earth before firing the main engine that will propel them to the moon.