Artemis II launches historic flyby lunar mission with diverse crew

© Chris O'Meara, AP
by FRANCE 24
April 1, 2026
3 min read

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NASA launched Artemis II, a crewed lunar flyby carrying four astronauts for the first Moon mission in over 50 years.

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NASA's Artemis II rocket launched Wednesday from Kennedy Space Center carrying four astronauts—three Americans and one Canadian—on a historic lunar flyby, the first crewed Moon mission in over 50 years. The 32-story vehicle marks the beginning of a decade-long program designed to establish sustainable exploration of the lunar surface, with future missions targeting the south pole region. The flight represents a major milestone in the U.S. space agency's efforts to return humans to the Moon and lay groundwork for deeper space exploration. Artemis II serves as a critical test of systems and procedures that will support eventual crewed landings on the lunar surface. The mission underscores renewed international cooperation in space exploration, with Canada contributing an astronaut to the crew.

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