NASA launches Artemis II crew on first moon mission in 54 years

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (WINK)—Four astronauts blasted off on a 10-day mission to the moon, marking a historic moment more than half a century in the making.

Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen will be remembered for their launch on Artemis 2. WINK News reporter Victoria Quevedo has been following their mission closely all week long.

Artemis 2 lifted off at 6:35 p.m. Wednesday from the Kennedy Space Center. About four minutes after the launch, the astronauts caught their first glimpse of the moon.

"We have a beautiful moon rise. We're headed right at it," an astronaut said.

After the launch, NASA held a post-launch press conference. The mission is part of NASA's plan to send astronauts back to the moon in 2028 and, one day, establish a moon base.

"After a brief 54-year intermission, NASA is back in the business of sending astronauts to the moon," NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said.

If all continues to go smoothly, the crew is scheduled to fly around the moon on Monday.