Artemis Two Blasts Off, First Crewed Moon Mission in 54 Years

0:00It's April 2nd. Welcome to Canada News Today, powered by AI. NASA's Artemis, two mission blasts it off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday evening, marking the first crew trip to the moon and over. 50 years. The massive space launch system rocket ignited right at 6.35 pm, carrying four astronauts including Canadian Jeremy Hansen, the first. From his country to venture beyond low-earth orbit, just eight minutes later, the Orion capsule separated and floated into space, with the zero-gravity plushie toy signaling the start of weightlessness. Right now, the crew is parked in high-earth orbit, running tests on all the gear. If Chexco's move, they'll fire up for the moon Thursday night in a Transluner Injection Manoeuvre. Crows pack Florida's space coast, with up to 400,000 people mining beaches, bridges, and parks for the show. Cheers exploded as the rocket roared skyward, leaving trails of smoke and rumble echoing over the marshes, folks from all over camped out hours early.

1:01To witness history, Hansen grew up on a farm dreaming of space since age five, inspired by Neil Armstrong. He's joined by Americans, Reed Wiseman, Victor Glover, the first person of color headed to the moon, and Christina Kulk, the first woman on this ride. No landing this time, but it paves the way for a 2028 touchdown, and bigger plans like a moon base, and marsh trips. President Trump hailed the launch as a big win, and NASA says they're back in the moon game after that 54-year break. Orion will loop the moon's far side before splashing down in the Pacific on April 10th, setting the stage for humanity's next giant leap.