NASA's Moon Rocket Fueled for Historic Mission

0:00It's April 1st, U.S. News Today starts now, AI-powered and nationwide. I'm Cory with the story. NASA kicked off fueling its giant moon rocket Wednesday for Artemis II, humanity's first crewed lunar trip in over 50 years. Four astronauts are set for an evening launch aboard the 32-story space launch system, with no hiccups reported so far. They are pumping more than 700,000 gallons of super cold hydrogen and oxygen into the beast on the launch pad. Tensions ran high after hydrogen leaks scrubbed the test countdown earlier this year, but by mid-morning everything looked clean. The crew includes Commander Reed Weizmann, Christina Koch as the first woman headed to the moon, Victor Glover as the first black astronaut there, and Jeremy Hansen, the first not American, Rep. Canada. Best wishes poured in, even from England's King Charles III, calling Hansen a bridge between nations. This fly-by mission will loop around the moon without landing or orbiting, pushing a new record by zooming 4,000 miles beyond it before, splashing down in the Pacific.

1:08It's the opener for NASA's big push toward a permanent lunar base and a soft pole landing in 2028. As the fuel tanks fill and the countdown rolls, these pioneers are lighting the fuse for the next chapter in space history, bridging Apollo's legacy, to tomorrow's outposts.