Artemis II Blasts Off from KSC, Sending Diverse Crew Around Moon

Four astronauts roared away from Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday aboard NASA's Artemis II mission, beginning humanity's first crewed journey to the moon in more than half a century and drawing tens of thousands of spectators to Florida's Space Coast. Crowds spilled onto Treasure Coast beaches and clogged A1A from Jensen Beach to Fort Pierce.

The 32-story Space Launch System rocket lifted off from KSC carrying Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen — the most diverse lunar crew ever assembled, including the first woman, first person of color and first non-American to fly a lunar mission. The 10-day test flight will carry the crew on a free-return trajectory past the moon, swinging approximately 4,000 miles beyond its surface before gravity slings them back toward a Pacific splashdown.

For Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin County residents, Wednesday's launch delivered a sight not seen since the Apollo era: a full-thrust SLS ascent visible on a clear evening sky. The rocket's twin solid boosters blazed south over the Atlantic before staging. Kennedy Space Center, roughly 60 miles north of Stuart, served as the anchor for a regional economy that has surged with the Artemis program's ramp-up, supporting thousands of aerospace jobs across Brevard and Indian River counties.

"On this historic mission, you take with you the heart of this Artemis team, the daring spirit of the American people and our partners across the globe, and the hopes and dreams of a new generation," launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson told the crew at liftoff. "Good luck, Godspeed Artemis II. Let's go."

The launch overcame a tense countdown. Dangerous hydrogen leaks had forced an earlier delay this year. Engineers on Wednesday worked through a series of last-minute issues — faulty battery sensors and a communication failure with the rocket's flight termination system — before both were resolved and the pad cleared.

Five minutes after liftoff, Wiseman reported from the Orion capsule: "We have a beautiful moonrise, we're headed right at it."

Not everything aboard Orion is performing flawlessly. Koch reported to Mission Control shortly after launch that the capsule's toilet shut down seconds after activation. The crew was directed to use a backup bag-and-funnel system while engineers assessed the problem.

The crew will spend 25 hours in Earth orbit checking spacecraft systems before committing to the four-day lunar transit. Their closest approach to the moon is expected Monday. A crewed lunar landing — now targeted for Artemis IV in 2028 — depends entirely on Artemis II's success, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said after liftoff.

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