NASA’s Artemis II lifts off to the moon

NASA's Artemis II mission launched toward the Moon, advancing the agency's effort to return humans to the lunar surface for the first time since 1972. The crewed flight test represents a critical milestone in NASA's broader Artemis program, which aims to establish sustained human presence on the Moon and serve as a stepping stone for eventual Mars exploration. Success on Artemis II will validate the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft ahead of a planned lunar landing on the subsequent Artemis III mission. The program reflects a renewed U.S. commitment to deep-space exploration after a five-decade gap in human Moon missions.