NASA Launches Artemis II, First Crewed Lunar Mission Since Apollo 17

NASA launched the Artemis II mission from Kennedy Space Center, the first crewed flight beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972. The ten-day mission carries astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Jeremy Hansen on a free-return trajectory around the Moon. The launch overcame a February helium flow issue that required a rollback to the Vehicle Assembly Building. An 80% favorable weather forecast held for the launch window opening at 6:24 PM ET.