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ORLANDO, Fla. - NASA's highly-anticipated Artemis II mission has launched a crew of four astronauts on a historic 10-day trip around the moon and back.
The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion capsule lifted off from Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center around 6:35 p.m. on Wednesday, April 1.
What we know:
Following the successful launch, the Artemis II mission is officially underway.
The crew—NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen—will now begin the next part of their journey. They won't land on the moon during the mission, but they will collect data about the moon that will help with future missions.
More: Where is Artemis II? See live updates.
NASA Admin. Jared Isaacman: ‘Artemis II astronauts are doing great’
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the Artemis II astronauts are "doing great" and that the Orion spacecraft is "performing well in an impressive elliptical orbit."
He said crews were back at the launch pad "getting ready for what comes next."
Perigee raise burn completed
The Artemis II crew has completed a perigee raise burn, adjusted the Orion spacecraft's orbital path to prepare it for the next crucial maneuver to get them to the moon.
Later today, the crew will perform a translunar injection burn that will send Orion out of Earth's orbit and toward the moon.
"Flight controllers will closely monitor engine performance, guidance, and navigation data throughout the maneuver to ensure Orion remains precisely aligned for the outbound journey," NASA said.
Orion's toilet has been fixed
Apparently there was an issue with the Orion spacecraft's toilet, which has since been fixed.
Artemis II's crews reported a "blinking fault light" ahead of the apogee raise burn on April 1.
"Mission control teams successfully assessed the data and worked with the crew to troubleshoot and resolve the issue," NASA said in a blog update.
Views from Orion
The Orion spacecraft is currently hundreds of thousands of miles away from the moon.
NASA shared a view from the spacecraft as it orbits Earth.
Astronauts getting rest, preparing for test
The Artemis II crew are now in Earth orbit and getting some much-needed rest aboard the Orion spacecraft.
NASA said the astronauts will wake up at 7 a.m. on Thursday to prepare for a perigee raise burn.
"This burn will lift the lowest point of Orion's orbit around Earth. Together with the apogee raise burn completed earlier, these burns will shape the spacecraft's initial orbit and prepare it for later translunar operations," NASA said.
After completing the burn, the crew will go back to sleep around 9:40 a.m.
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Artemis II rocket lifts off from Kennedy Space Center
NASA’s Artemis II mission lifted off at 6:35 p.m. EDT from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39B, sending four astronauts aboard the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft on a journey around the Moon, officials said.
Liftoff!
The backstory:
NASA's Artemis II mission launched from Kennedy Space Center at 6:35 p.m. ET on Wednesday, sending four astronauts on a journey around the moon.
The mission marks the first crewed flight of NASA's Artemis program. It also marks the first crewed moon mission in more than 50 years.
View the FOX 35 launch day coverage.
The Source: This live blog is managed by the digital teams at FOX 35 News in Orlando, Florida. It features live updates on Artemis II from NASA and Artemis II teams. It will also feature news and updates from NASA leaders and verified social media accounts.