The launch of NASA's most powerful rocket brings the return of humans to the moon one step closer.
In the wee hours of Wednesday morning, after a long and arduous journey to liftoff,
Launching from Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center, the massive tangerine Space Launch System came to life.
NASA mission control engineers and scientists cheered as the SLS rocket, carrying the Orion crew capsule
Passed vital milestones, ditched its huge core stage, and launched its snow-white spire into space.
This multibillion-dollar machine pierced through the atmosphere unscathed, easing anxiety.
Artemis I's launch follows years of delays, setbacks, viability doubts, and rising costs.
It paves the way for astronauts to walk on the lunar surface in the coming years.
And in the future, Mars' red sands, perhaps. We have a long way to go before reaching Sci-Fi destinations.