First Crewed Moon Mission in 50 Years Blasts Off

0:00It's April 1st, you're listening to Global News Today, AI-powered coverage from around the world. I'm Corey, with the story. Four ashynoshes blasted off on a daring trip around the moon, the first crude mission like this in more than 50 years. Commander Reed Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Jeremy Hansen make up the most diverse lunar crew ever, with the first, woman, a person of color, and an international partner aboard. They launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on the massive space launch system rocket, carrying the Orion capsule toward a 10-day test flight. The crew will hang out in Earth orbit for the first 25 hours, checking systems before firing up the main engine for the lunar swing by. They'll fly past the moon closer than anyone alive has gone, peaking about 4,000 miles beyond it to become the farthest humans from home. Along the way, they'll take manual control of Orion, practicing close approaches to the rocket's upper stage, just in case autopilot fails.

1:00Tens of thousands pack the launch site, road sides and beaches, echoing the Apollo crowds from the 60s and 70s. Surviving moonwalkers like Charlie Duke cheered on this new generation, calling it their Apollo, families wave heartfelt goodbyes, and NASA folks stress the high stakes after years of delays from fuel leaks and heat shield issues on the uncrewed Artemis one mission three years back. This flight debuts key life support gear, like water dispensers and toilets in space, ramping up the risks, but paving the way for landings. NASA aims for a sustainable moon base soon, with Artemis III targeting the South Pole by 2028, beating China there and setting up for, Mars. Officials delayed launch, by a day to double check everything. As the team loops back for Pacific Splashdown, they're scripting humanity's next chapter, turning the moon from memory into a real destination for all of us.