Spacecraft orbiting Earth after climactic Moon mission launch

Astronauts are now in orbit around the earth, where they will perform various checks to ensure the reliability and safety of a spacecraft that has never carried humans before

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The Artemis II crewed lunar mission lifts off from Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Wednesday. - AFP Space enthusiasts at a park in Titusville view the Artemis II crewed lunar mission's liftoff. (Right) Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, Artemis II mission specialist; Nasa astronauts Victor Glover, Artemis II pilot; Reid Wiseman, Artemis II commander; and Christina Koch, Artemis II mission specialist, before travelling to the launch pad. — AFP

(AFP)

Your astronauts blasted off aboard a massive Nasa rocket Wednesday on a long-anticipated journey around the Moon, the first crewed lunar flyby in more than 50 years.

With a thunderous roar that reverberated far beyond the launchpad, the enormous orange-and-white rocket carried three Americans and one Canadian away from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center at approximately 6:35 pm (2235 GMT) local time.

Nasa teams and spectators alike were ecstatic as the spacecraft ascended into a radiant sky atop a cascade of flames.

The team, who donned bright orange suits with blue trim as the mission began, includes Americans Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch along with Canadian Jeremy Hansen.

"We have a beautiful moonrise. We're headed right at it," said Wiseman, the mission commander.