Artemis II moon mission counts down to historic flight
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NASA's Artemis II astronauts are set to launch on a nine-day mission around the moon.
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NASA is launching Artemis II today, sending astronauts on a nine-day mission that will orbit the moon and return to Earth. This is the second crewed test flight of NASA's Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the lunar surface for the first time since 1972. The mission serves as a critical validation of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft ahead of planned lunar landings in subsequent Artemis missions. A successful flight will demonstrate that the hardware and procedures are ready to support sustained human exploration of the moon. The launch is being broadcast live, with mission control managing the countdown from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
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NASA's Artemis II astronauts launch to the moon today. Watch it here - NPR
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NASA starts countdown for first crewed Moon mission in over 50 years
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