They're en route! NASA sends humans to the moon for the first time in 53 years.

      The SLS rocket and a crew of four launched from the pad on Wednesday evening.

      NASA's Artemis II mission lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, April 1.

      Humans are returning to the moon for the first time in 53 years as NASA successfully sent four astronauts aboard its SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft on Wednesday.

      Producing an impressive 8.8 million pounds of thrust, the rocket launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, initiating the 10-day Artemis II mission that will take crew members Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen around the moon and back to Earth. You can see the rocket take off from the Space Coast in the video below, recorded at 6:35 p.m. ET.

      The video also captures the moment the SLS rocket’s two side boosters separate from the core stage a few minutes after launch, having assisted in getting the vehicle and crew into space.

      At the beginning of their adventurous journey, the astronauts will spend approximately 24 hours monitoring the spacecraft’s systems in a high Earth orbit. If all systems are operating correctly, Orion will then be directed on a path toward the moon.

      Throughout the 10-day mission, the astronauts will continue to assess the spacecraft’s systems while also rehearsing emergency procedures, including testing the radiation shelter—a temporarily protected area within Orion that the astronauts can use if radiation levels increase due to events like a solar storm or spacecraft malfunction.

      The Artemis II crew will travel approximately 4,600 miles beyond the moon, becoming the first humans to view the far side of the lunar surface in over 50 years.

      A successful Artemis II mission will set the stage for Artemis III, which will evaluate Orion’s ability to rendezvous and dock with a commercial lunar lander in Earth orbit. Following that, Artemis IV aims to conduct a crewed lunar landing, with NASA currently planning for this significant undertaking in early 2028.

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      The Artemis II moon mission is noteworthy, and so is the astronauts’ restroom.

      Artemis II is finally sending astronauts back to the moon, making it a significant event.

      NASA's Artemis II mission is historic as it marks the agency's first crewed journey around the moon in over fifty years. However, within this larger lunar goal lies an important, more practical achievement: astronauts will have a toilet that is not cumbersome. While this may not be the most glamorous aspect of the mission, it remains significant. Decades ago, Apollo astronauts relied on a waste system that involved plastic bags and funnels, which NASA later described as "objectionable" and "distasteful."

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      What’s on the menu for NASA’s Artemis II moon astronauts?

      Four astronauts are preparing to spend 10 days traveling to the moon and back in a compact spacecraft. What will their meals consist of during this incredible journey?

      NASA's Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency, are less than 24 hours from their lunar flight. The Artemis II mission is on schedule to launch from the Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, April 1. After being lifted into space by NASA’s powerful SLS rocket, they will spend about a day in Earth orbit checking the Orion spacecraft’s systems before adjusting their trajectory toward the moon.

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      How to watch NASA's first crewed moon mission launch in fifty years

      A rocket carrying four astronauts is set to launch this week.

      NASA announced on Monday that the countdown for the first crewed lunar flight in over fifty years has begun. The onsite countdown clock started at 4:44 p.m. ET on Monday, targeting the Artemis II mission launch for just two days later. Continue reading for complete details on how to livestream the liftoff.

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