Four astronauts blasted off from Florida on Wednesday (April 1) on NASA's Artemis II mission, a high‑stakes 10-day trip around the moon that marks the United States' boldest step yet toward returning humans to the lunar surface this decade before China's first crewed landing.

NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, topped with its Orion crew capsule, roared to life just before sunset at the agency's Kennedy Space Center to lift its first crew of three U.S. astronauts and a Canadian astronaut off Earth, a thunderous ascent leaving behind a towering column of thick white vapor.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES (APRIL 1, 2026) (NASA - For editorial use only) (MUTE)

1. VARIOUS OF ROCKET ON LAUNCH PAD

2. VIEW OF CONTROL ROOM

3. MORE OF ROCKET

The Artemis II crew of NASA astronauts Christina Koch, Victor Glover and Reid Wiseman and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen donned their flight suits and arrived at the launchpad ahead of liftoff scheduled as early as 6:24 p.m. EDT (2224 GMT) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (9351-SPACE-MOON/ARTEMIS-ASTRONAUTS-UPDATE)

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES (APRIL 1, 2026) (NASA - For editorial use only) (MUTE)

4. ASTRONAUTS LEAVING VAN

5. ASTRONAUTS IN ELEVATOR

6. VARIOUS OF ASTRONAUTS ENTERING THE CAPSULE

7. VARIOUS VIEWS OF ROCKET ON LAUNCHPAD

8. ASTRONAUTS IN CAPSULE

The Artemis II crew sat patiently inside the capsule on Wednesday (April 1) as NASA engineers completed final launch preparations at Cape Canaveral, Florida. (9385-SPACE-MOON/ARTEMIS-CAPSULE)

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES (APRIL 1, 2026) (NASA - For editorial use only) (MUTE)

9. VARIOUS OF NASA ENGINEERS SEALING DRAGON CAPSULE HATCH

10. ARTEMIS II CREW SEATED WAITING

11. VARIOUS OF NASA ENGINEERS DETACHING ACCESS EQUIPMENT

NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, topped with its Orion crew capsule, roared to life just before sunset at the agency's Kennedy Space Center to lift its first crew of three U.S. astronauts and a Canadian astronaut off Earth, a thunderous ascent leaving behind a towering column of thick white vapor. (9390-SPACE-MOON/ARTEMIS-LAUNCH)

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES (APRIL 1, 2026)(NASA – For editorial use only)

12. VARIOUS OF MOON ROCKET ON LAUNCH PAD

13. VARIOUS OF ROCKET LIFTING OFF

14. VARIOUS OF ROCKET IN SKY

People cried, cheered and waved as Artemis II mission launched on Wednesday (April 1), taking three U.S. astronauts and a Canadian soar for the first crewed lunar voyage in more than half a century. (9392-SPACE-MOON/ARTEMIS-CROWD)

TITUSVILLE, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES (APRIL 1, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

15. CROWD CHEERING AS ROCKET LIFTS OFF IN THE DISTANCE

16. PEOPLE FILMING AND SHOOTING WITH PHONES

17. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PROJECT MANAGER FROM CENTRAL FLORIDA, CHRISTINE KUNKEL, SAYING:

"Super stoked that there's a female astronaut going up. And it is just really incredible to see, just to see the diversity just going up in space and even having someone from Canada. And I think just in light of the way things are in the world right now, I think it's a reminder that so many of us wanted to pause and see what's happening."

18. (NIGHT SHOTS) VARIOUS OF THE MOON

Students and educators gathered at the University of Toronto on Wednesday (April 1) to watch the launch of NASA’s Artemis II mission, a high‑stakes voyage around the moon that includes a Canadian astronaut. (9411-SPACE-MOON/ARTEMIS-CROWD-CANADA)

TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA (APRIL 1, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

19. PEOPLE COUNTING DOWN TO LAUNCH OF ARTEMIS II AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO

20. PEOPLE CHEERING

21. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SCIENCE COMMUNICATOR AND EDUCATOR, SWAPNA MYLABATHULA, SAYING: "I think it's just really exciting that there is a Canadian on this mission to the moon and it's a really great inspirational moment for all Canadians as we celebrate Jeremy Hansen and Dr. Jenni Sidey-Gibbons as well, who's doing the CAPCOM (Capsule Communicator) and connecting Earth with the moon in communications. And I think it's going to be a really, really wonderful experience for Canadians to get excited about this historic moment, but also start to explore the science behind it as well."

22. PEOPLE CREATING DECORATIONS FOR SPACE-THEMED MURAL

U.S. President Donald Trump congratulated the "brave astronauts" and NASA on the successful launch of Artemis II on Wednesday (April 1). (9417-SPACE-MOON/ARTEMIS-TRUMP)

WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (APRIL 1, 2026)(UNRESTRICTED POOL - Access all)

23. (SOUNDBITE)(English) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, SAYING:

"Thank you very much. My fellow Americans, good evening. Let me begin by congratulating the team at NASA and our brave astronauts on the successful launch of Artemis II. It was quite something. It will be traveling further than any manned rocket has ever flown and will very substantially pass the moon, go around it and come back home. From a distance, that has never been done before. It's amazing. They are on the way and God bless them. These are brave people who want to. God bless those four unbelievable astronauts."

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and others held a post-launch news conference in which he acknowledged a a temporary partial loss of communications and said the launch was an opening act for subsequent missions. (9405-SPACE-MOON/ARTEMIS-NEWSER)

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES (APRIL 1, 2026) (NASA - Broadcast: Editorial use only. Digital: Editorial use only.)

24. (SOUNDBITE) (English) NASA ADMINISTRATOR, JARED ISAACMAN, SAYING:

(SOUNDBITE STARTS ON WIDE VIEW OF NEWS CONFERENCE)

"So today, April 1st, 2026, 6.35 p.m., NASA's space launch system rocket lifted off the pad with 8.8 million pounds of thrust, carrying the Orion spacecraft and the Artemis II crew out to Earth orbit and beginning America's grand return to the moon. Now, about 51 minutes into the flight during a planned handover between satellites, the Orion spacecraft underwent a communications issue leading to a temporary partial loss of comms. The uplink from CAPCOM to the crew was being heard by the crew, but we could not hear their responses for a brief period of time. There were no issues with the vehicle itself. Comms with the crew have been restored. We're actively working the issue and we'll keep you informed."

25. MODERATOR ENDING NEWS CONFERENCE