NASA’s Historic Lunar Mission Launch, in Photos
By Connor Greene
Published on April 2, 2026.
NASA's Artemis II mission successfully launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the start of what could be the first trip humans have made to the moon in 53 years. The mission will take four astronauts, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen, with a 10-day journey expected to take them 248,655 miles from Earth, breaking Apollo 13's record for the farthest distance humanity has ever traveled from Earth. The crew will also mark historic milestones, including the first person of color and the first non-American to travel on the moon.
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