NASA launched its Artemis I mission early Wednesday from a launch pad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a historic 26-day test flight around the moon nearly 50 years after the last trip there.
Liftoff occurred at 1:47 a.m. EST. Only 2 minutes, 11 seconds into flight two solid rocket boosters separated from the core rocket on the Space Launch System clearly visible to thousands of tourists gathered on the ground miles from the launch site.
It was the third launch attempt after two scrubs, the first attempt occurring on Aug. 29. NASA engineers cheered after the thunderous noise and blinding flash of launch lit up the eastern shore of Florida.
There was, however, a 43 minute delay, giving an emergency red crew enough time to repair a small leak of fuel by tightening bolts on a valve.
"You have earned your place in history," said Artemis Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson told NASA mission control crew shortly after launch. "We are all part of something incredibly special, the first launch of Artemis...The harder the climb, the better the view. We showed what a beautiful view it is."
NASA tweeted a short video of the launch.
About 24 minutes into the flight, four solar arrays were deployed as the spacecraft traveled at 16,000 mph in orbit around Earth. The solar arrays each contain 15,000 solar panels used to power the spacecraft to retrograde orbit around the moon.
An 18 minute trans-lunar injection burn took place at 3:15 a.m. EST, putting the spacecraft on a path to the moon at speeds topping 22,000 mph. After that maneuver, some of10 small CubeSats were released to take readings in a variety of deep space science investigations.
"That was the biggest flame I've ever seen," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said after launch. The former astronaut and US Senator added that missions to the moon "didn't end with Apollo 17" in 1972. "It's a great day." Six Apollo flights landed on the moon from 1969 to 1972, ending with Apollo 17.
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The Orion spacecraft is due to splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on Sunday Dec. 11. Before that return to Earth, Orion will orbit the moon, passing 80 miles above its surface. Scientists are investigating a future landing near the moon's south pole to investigate the potential for frozen water there. Water will be essential for future trips to Mars.
While Mars is a far-off goal of the Artemis missions, the first crewed flight of Artemis will occur as early as 2024, with a second crewed mission as early as 2025 to land the first woman and person of color on the lunar surface.