Nasa readies its most powerful rocket for round-the-moon flight

The Artemis II crew members, from left, Jeremy Hansen, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman an Christina Koch, stand in front of the Orion capsule. Photograph: Kim Shiflett/AP

Nasa is preparing to roll out its most powerful rocket yet before a mission to send astronauts around the moon and back again for the first time in more than 50 years.

The Artemis II mission is scheduled to launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida as early as 6 February, taking its crew on a 685,000-mile round trip that will end about 10 days later with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.