After 53 years, humans on the moon again

After more than 50 years, humanity is returning to the Moon with the successful launch of NASA's Artemis II mission on Wednesday (April 1).

The 32-story rocket carrying four astronauts—three Americans (Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch) and one Canadian (Jeremy Hansen)—blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

This historic 10-day mission marks the first time humans have traveled toward the Moon since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. While the crew will orbit the Moon without landing, they will conduct critical tests on the spacecraft's safety and manual controls.

This mission serves as a vital stepping stone for the Artemis IV project scheduled for 2028, which aims to land humans back on the lunar surface and eventually establish a sustainable presence for future Mars exploration.