Four astronauts embarked on a high-stakes flight around the moon Wednesday, humanity’s first lunar voyage in more than half a century and the thrilling leadoff in NASA’s push toward a landing in two years.

NASA's launch team loaded more than 700,000 gallons of fuel into the 32-story Space Launch System rocket early Wednesday, setting the stage for blast off in the evening at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Artemis astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen are on board. They’ll hurtle several thousand miles beyond the moon, hang a U-turn and then come straight back. No circling around the moon, no stopping for a moonwalk — just a quick out-and-back lasting less than 10 days. NASA promises more boot prints in the gray lunar dust, but not before a couple practice missions.

Unlike the Apollo missions that sent astronauts to the moon from 1968 through 1972, Artemis’ debut crew includes a woman, a person of color and a Canadian citizen.

Artemis II is the opening shot of NASA’s grand plans for a permanent moon base. The space program is aiming for a moon landing near the lunar south pole in 2028.

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The to-do list for the Artemis II crew

The four astronauts will be sticking close to home for the next day or so, checking out the capsule in orbit around Earth.

Later, the upper stage of the rocket will separate, and the crew will manually fly the Orion capsule toward it to practice docking, preparing for future missions to the moon’s surface.

Thursday night they will fire Orion’s main engine to escape Earth’s gravity and head for the moon, 248,000 miles away.

Artemis II crew reaches orbit

The four astronauts headed to the moon have reached orbit. They will circle the Earth for about 25 hours before catapulting toward the moon.

‘A beautiful moonrise’

Five minutes into humanity’s first flight to the moon in 53 years, Commander Reid Wiseman saw the team’s target: “We have a beautiful moonrise, we’re headed right at it,” he said from the capsule.

Artemis II blasted off from same site as Apollo explorers

Artemis II set sail from the same Florida launch site that sent Apollo’s explorers to the moon so long ago. The handful still alive cheered this next generation’s grand adventure as the Space Launch System rocket thundered into the early evening sky, a nearly full moon beckoning some 248,000 miles (400,000 kilometers) away.

Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman led the charge into space with “Let’s go to the moon!” accompanied by pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canada’s Jeremy Hansen. It was the most diverse lunar crew ever with the first woman, person of color and non-U.S. citizen riding in NASA’s new Orion capsule.

Astronaut Victor J. Glover is openly and publicly Christian, and he has spoken frequently and consistently about his faith over many years.

Victor Glover is a committed Christian and a member of the Church of Christ, a Protestant Christian denomination. [evangelicalfocus.com], [e-n.org.uk]
During his 168-day mission aboard the International Space Station (2020–2021), he took a Bible and communion cups into space and observed weekly communion and worship, including livestreamed church services. [evangelicalfocus.com], [christianc...onicle.org]
Glover has stated explicitly that his faith is foundational to his life and career, saying he prays before flights and views science and Christianity as complementary rather than in conflict. [christianc...onicle.org]
At NASA press events and interviews surrounding Artemis II, he has publicly thanked God, asked for prayers, and said he intentionally puts God “at the front” of his life. [evangelicalfocus.com]
He has spoken at churches, teaches Sunday school with his wife, and has delivered sermons referencing Scripture, including 2 Peter 1 and the teachings of Jesus. [crosswalk.com], [beliefnet.com]

Glover has said:

“I want to use the abilities that God has given me to do my job well and support my crewmates and mission.”
and
“I was able to worship in space… I was able to take communion every week I was in space.”

These statements have been reported by multiple outlets, including The Christian Chronicle, Christianity Today, Evangelical Focus, and others. [evangelicalfocus.com], [christianc...onicle.org] - Copilot

[Photo Credit: Bill Ingalls/NASA via AP] NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Artemis II commander, from left, Victor Glover, Artemis II pilot, Christina Koch, Artemis II mission specialist, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, Artemis II mission specialist, right, in a group photograph as they visit NASA's Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft

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