Artemis II is underway, carrying four astronauts around the moon on a 10-day mission to test systems for later lunar flights and an eventual moon base.

Four astronauts lifted off before sunset Wednesday, starting a historic 10-day journey to fly by the moon and propel people farther into space than they have ever gone before. The Artemis II mission is scheduled to loop around the moon for the first time since the Apollo era.

NASA's Artemis II astronauts launched Wednesday, April 1, from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, sending America back to the moon for first time since 1972.

Artemis 2 is gearing up for a critical engine burn this evening (April 2), which will send the mission's four astronauts on a looping journey around the moon.

Artemis II has officially launched. It's NASA's first crewed moon mission in more than 50 years. Connor Ling

Four astronauts are on board the flight, which is the first crewed moon mission since 1972. • Artemis II is on its journey: Four astronauts blasted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday evening on a monumental 10-day mission to circumnavigate the moon .

NASA's Artemis II astronauts launched on a nine-and-a-half-day mission around the moon and back. The spectacular launch marked the first piloted moonshot since the end of the Apollo program 53 years ago.

NASA is scheduled to launch the Artemis II mission on April 1, with four astronauts who will travel to the moon and back.