- NASA's Artemis II mission successfully propelled its astronauts out of Earth's orbit and onto a trajectory toward the moon, 25 hours after liftoff.
- The crew, consisting of three American and one Canadian astronauts, is now pursuing the moon nearly 250,000 miles distant for a lunar fly-around early next week.
- This mission will see the astronauts become the farthest humans have ever traveled from Earth, surpassing the Apollo 13 distance record set in 1970.
- Astronauts Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen have made history as the first Black, first woman, and first non-U.S. citizen, respectively, to launch to the moon.
- The Artemis II test flight is a crucial step for NASA's broader plans for a moon base and sustained lunar living, despite minor initial issues with the capsule's toilet and cabin temperature.
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