LIVE UPDATES: Artemis II approaches the far side of the moon

Artemis II Launches Manned Test Flight Around The Moon IN SPACE - APRIL 04: (EDITOR'S NOTE: This Handout image was provided by a third-party organization and may not adhere to Getty Images' editorial policy.) In this handout image provided by NASA, NASA astronaut and Artemis II mission specialist Christina Koch peers out of one of the Orion spacecraft's main cabin windows, looking back at Earth, as the crew travels towards the Moon on April 4, 2026. NASA's Artemis II mission will take Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen on a 10-day journey around the Moon and back aboard their Orion spacecraft. (Photo by NASA via Getty Images) (NASA/NASA via Getty Images)

By Heather Taylor

The Artemis II rocket has successfully launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

>>LAUNCH PHOTOS

In this historic mission, four astronauts will be sent around the far side of the moon and back, marking NASA’s first manned mission toward the moon in more than 55 years. Astronauts last traveled to the moon during Apollo 17 in 1972.

On Monday, April 6, the spacecraft broke the record for the farthest distance from Earth traveled by any human, allowing the crew of Artemis II to be the first humans to see parts of the far side of the moon.

>>WATCH LIVE: NASA’s Artemis II Crew Flies Around the Moon


>>WATCH: NASA’s Artemis II Live Mission Coverage

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