Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Thursday, April 2, 2026
From the Liveblog of
Thursday, April 2, 2026
NASA authorizes Artemis astronauts to head toward the Moon
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In this photo provided by NASA, a view of the Earth from NASA's Orion spacecraft as it orbits above the planet during the Artemis II test flight, on April 2, 2026. (NASA via AP)
NASA gives the Artemis astronauts the green light to head for the Moon and carry out the first crewed lunar flyby in more than 50 years.
The four astronauts currently circling Earth will fire up the engine of the Orion capsule at 7:49 p.m. Eastern Standard Time to send it on a trajectory towards the Moon, NASA says.
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