NASA gives Artemis crew green light to head towards Moon

Published April 3, 2026 6:00am

The Artemis II mission's Orion capsule leaves Earth, backlit by the sun as a crescent, on its way to fly by the moon after launching from the Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S., April 2, 2026, in a still image from video. NASA TV/Handout via REUTERS

HOUSTON, Texas - NASA gave the Artemis astronauts the green light on Thursday to head for the Moon and carry out the first crewed lunar flyby in more than 50 years.

The four astronauts currently circling Earth will fire up the engine of the Orion capsule at 7:49 pm Eastern Time (2349 GMT) to send it on a trajectory towards the Moon, NASA said. — Agence France Presse

NASA gives Artemis crew green light to head towards Moon

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