Artemis 2 Mission Presser (Day 1)
Artemis 2 Mission Presser (Day 1) Video credit: NASA - Rating: U — UNIVERSAL (ALL AGES): On April 1, 2026, at 6:35 p.m. EDT, NASA’s Space Launch System rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft “Integrity” lifted off from Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center, marking the first time humans had been launched toward the Moon since Apollo 17 in December 1972. The Artemis II crew — Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen — embarked on an approximately ten-day journey to loop around the Moon and return to Earth. The launch generated 8.8 million pounds of thrust from the combined solid rocket boosters and four RS-25 engines, clearing the tower and sending the crew into a high Earth orbit. During the postlaunch press conference at Kennedy Space Center around 8:15 p.m. EDT, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman set the tone by declaring: “After a brief 54-year intermission, NASA is back in the business of sending astronauts to the Moon.” Isaacman acknowledged a brief communications interruption roughly 51 minutes into the flight during a satellite handover but confirmed the crew was safe and in great spirits. Flight Operations Director Norm Knight described the upcoming translunar injection burn as the real commitment point, noting: “We’re looking to make sure that the life-support systems work, that the vehicle’s healthy,” and that redundancy exists across all key systems. Officials previewed upcoming milestones including breaking the Apollo 13 distance record, a total solar eclipse visible from beyond the Moon, and an attempt to recreate the iconic Apollo 8 “Earthrise” photograph. The SLS core stage separated successfully, solar array wings deployed fully, and the spacecraft entered a stable orbit — setting the stage for the critical translunar injection burn the following day. U — UNIVERSAL (ALL AGES) International equivalents: MPAA: G | BBFC: U | CSA: Tous publics | FSK: 0 | CBFC: U | OFLC: G | CRTC: C | NICAM: AL No content that could disturb, frighten or harm children of any age. No violence beyond slapstick, no crude humour, no romantic content, no supernatural threat, no scary imagery, and no language beyond mild colloquial terms. Fully appropriate for unsupervised viewing by all ages, including infants. Content Warnings Required: None.
- English (Canada)
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