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Watch the moment Artemis II blasts into space

After delays and technical issues, the first crewed Moon mission in 50 years finally took off from Florida and is now in Earth's orbit.

Published April 1, 2026, 11:00 PM
Updated April 2, 2026, 4:25 AM4.5K
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Watch the moment Artemis II blasts into space

The Artemis crew are officially on their way in a historic 10-day mission around the Moon, which could take them further from Earth than anyone has ever been before.

The crew on the 10-day mission won't land on the Moon, but plan to circle it, while travelling further from Earth than anyone has ever been before. Following on from the unmanned Artemis I mission in 2022, Nasa's Artemis programme is preparing for deep-space missions - with an ultimate goal of reaching Mars in the 2030s.

Follow along with the BBC's live coverage of the launch here.

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