Artemis II heads for moon

Following a successful launch from the Kennedy Space Center, the four-person crew of Artemis II is preparing for the most dangerous phase of their 10-day mission.

The scheduled engine burn will increase the Orion spacecraft's velocity to 25,000 mph, allowing it to break free from Earth's gravitational pull.

Despite minor technical issues with onboard systems, including the waste management facility and email communication, ground control has cleared the mission for lunar transit.

This voyage serves as a final proving ground for the technology intended to return humans to the lunar surface permanently.