The four Artemis II mission astronauts have entered the Orion capsule and are in place for humanity’s first trip to the moon in more than half a century, aiming for an evening liftoff. NASA's launch team loaded more than 700,

By Joey Roulette CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida, April 1 (Reuters) - NASA is set to launch four astronauts as soon as Wednesday evening on a 10-day flight around the moon, marking the most ambitious U.S. space mission in decades and a major step toward returning humans to the lunar surface before China's first crewed landing.

Artemis II astronauts are rocketing towards the moon after leaving Earth's orbit. The so-called translunar ignition came 25 hours after liftoff, putting the three Americans and one Canadian on course for a lunar fly-around early next week.

NASA's Artemis II astronauts are among the first government spacefarers to bring personal smartphones to space. Here's how they'll be used.