NASA launches astronauts on first crewed moon flight in more than 50 years

NASA’s Artemis II moon rocket lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad39-B Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

RIYADH, April 1, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – Four astronauts set off on a high-stakes flight around the moon on Wednesday, marking humanity’s first crewed lunar voyage in more than half a century and the opening mission in NASA’s renewed push toward a moon landing within two years.

The crew, made up of three Americans and one Canadian, lifted off aboard a 32-story rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

Tens of thousands gathered at the Florida spaceport to watch the launch, while crowds lined nearby roads and beaches in scenes recalling the Apollo-era moon missions of the 1960s and 1970s.

The mission marks NASA’s most significant step yet toward its goal of establishing a long-term human presence on the moon.