Astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft release captivating images of Earth from the first crewed lunar mission in more than half a century.

Track the progress of the Artemis II mission with the latest updates and news from the historic mission to the moon's orbit.

The crew of Artemis II will not descend to the moon, but their capsule will fly over the far side of its surface.

The engine firing provided a slingshot-like boost to the Orion capsule, speeding it up to some 25,000 mph, the velocity needed to break free of Earth's gravitational clasp for a trek to the moon.

With a successful translunar injection burn, NASA's Artemis II mission stopped circling Earth and began the first crewed journey toward the moon since the Apollo era.

The Artemis II mission crew includes the first woman, the first Black person, and the first non-American astronaut to travel to the lunar environment.

The Artemis II astronauts continued their long coast to the moon, capturing stunning photos along the way.

When the solid rocket boosters ignited on the Artemis II mission, even the astronauts had trouble containing their excitement. "When those solids lit, you know, it was a ride where you're trying to