This launch was one of the most thrilling, but stressful few minutes of my life. Space missions are hard and can be dangerous, especially missions like this where there are so many firsts. <\/p>\n
The final 10-second countdown seemed to come so quickly, and then at 6.35 p.m., EDT, on April 1, 2026, the NASA launch commentator uttered those famous words: \u201cWe have liftoff.\u201d <\/p>\n
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NASA\u2019s Artemis II moon rocket lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center\u2019s Launch on April 1, 2026, in Cape Canaveral, Fla.
\n (AP Photo\/Chris O’Meara)<\/p>\n
I think everyone around me held their breath for those first few critical seconds, and then the significance of the moment sank in. We had just witnessed history in the making. This was the launch of the first crewed flight of NASA\u2019s Artemis program<\/a>, and the first time since 1972 that humans have ventured to the Moon. <\/p>\n Jeremy Hansen<\/a> will be the first non-American to fly to the Moon and will make Canada only the second country in the world to send an astronaut into deep space. <\/p>\n Christina Koch and Victor Glover will also make history as the first woman and person of colour<\/a> to fly to the Moon.<\/p>\n Read more: The build up to launch<\/p>\n The first launch windows for Artemis II came and went earlier this year, following issues discovered during wet dress rehearsals<\/a>. But this time felt different. NASA rolled out the SLS (Space Launch System<\/a>) rocket on March 20<\/a> and decided to skip the wet dress rehearsal and go straight for launch. <\/p>\n You could sense the confidence building.<\/p>\n On the evening before launch day, the Canadian Space Agency held a reception for all the Canadian invitees, as well as several NASA guests. It was like a \u201cwho\u2019s who\u201d of the Canadian space program, including most of Canada\u2019s retired astronauts. <\/p>\n There were some lighthearted moments \u2014 like when MDA Space CEO Mike Greenly<\/a> announced there were the limited edition Tim Hortons \u201cmoonbits\u201d<\/a> for all \u2014 but you could tell there was also a lot of emotion in the room. <\/p>\n There were some tears as a video message from Jeremy Hansen\u2019s son, Devon, was played. For me the moment came when I spoke with Jeremy\u2019s parents, who I had met several years earlier. They still live in Ingersoll, not far from London, Ont., where Jeremy went to high school<\/a>.<\/p>\n Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen greets family members on his way to the launch pad for liftoff on NASA\u2019s Artemis II moon rocket at the Kennedy Space Center. Returning humans to the Moon<\/p>\n At the time of writing, the crew have now had their first sleep in Integrity<\/a>, the name of their Orion spacecraft<\/a>.<\/p>\n They are now in a high-Earth orbit, reaching a maximum of 74,000 km from Earth. This is already a huge distance when you consider the orbit of the International Space Station<\/a> is only around 400 km.<\/p>\n During this first 24 hours, the crew are testing the environmental controls and life support systems, ensuring that everything they need to survive for the next 10 days in space works. If everything looks good, NASA will clear the crew to conduct the translunar injection<\/a>, and send Integrity to the Moon.<\/p>\n While they won\u2019t be landing, in addition to testing out the Orion spacecraft, the Artemis II crew will be conducting science. They will be working with scientists and engineers in a new science evaluation room<\/a> in mission control at the NASA Johnson Space Center, to collaborate during operations in real time. <\/p>\n
\n Artemis II: The first human mission to the moon in 54 years launches soon \u2014 with a Canadian on board<\/a><\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/file-20260401-71-x4426r.jpg\")
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\n (AP Photo\/John Raoux)<\/p>\n