NASA launches first crewed lunar mission in half a century with Artemis II

The CNA video reports on NASA’s successful launch of the Artemis II mission — the first crewed lunar mission in over 50 years. Four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft are undertaking a 10-day journey that will take them around the far side of the Moon (an area never directly viewed by humans) before returning to Earth via a free-return trajectory and splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off California.

The report details the Orion crew module and service module, the new bright-orange Orion spacesuits, improved food options, and extensive testing of life support, navigation, and communication systems. It also covers the mission’s historical significance compared to Apollo and the high-speed, high-temperature re-entry challenges.

Prof. Quentin Parker (Director of the Laboratory for Space Research, University of Hong Kong) highlights that more than 50 years after Apollo, many doubted a return to the Moon. He notes the Artemis programme’s progress and recent discoveries of valuable resources, particularly water ice near the lunar south pole, which can be converted into oxygen for breathing and hydrogen for fuel — essential for future permanent lunar bases.

He emphasises the step-by-step, safety-first approach of Artemis II (a flyby farther from Earth than any previous human mission), the growing international competition with China’s parallel lunar plans, and the strategic importance of who maps and accesses these resources first. Prof. Parker describes the launch as magnificent and views the mission as an exciting milestone for humanity, science, and progress, while acknowledging the inherent risks of space exploration.