Artemis II: Nasa’s crewed rocket lifts off to begin 10-day lunar journey – as it happened

12.41am BST

Closing summary

We’re closing our live blog of the launch of Artemis II now after watching the space rocket’s spectacular launch into a clear blue Florida sky from the Kennedy Space Center.

• Four astronauts, Americans Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, plus Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency, are on their way to the moon after lifting off at 6.35pm from launchpad 39B.

• Their 10-day lunar flyby is the first crewed mission to the moon in more than half a century. No other humans have traveled beyond lower Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in December 1972.

• Artemis II is a test flight designed to evaluate the Orion crew capsule and essential life support and medical systems ahead of future Artemis missions, including the next moon landing scheduled for Artemis IV in 2028.

Thank you for following the launch with us, and stick with us for news of the mission and coverage of the Artemis II crew’s splashdown in the Pacific Ocean in 10 days’ time.

Updated at 12.45am BST

12.22am BST

Here’s a look at some of the earthlings who gathered near Cape Canaveral to watch the Artemis II crew begin their historic lunar commute on this Florida evening.

Updated at 12.36am BST