NASA heads back to the moon with Artemis 1: LIVE

In the wee hours of Wednesday, NASA's magnificent new Artemis 1 rocket launched into space for the first time.

Along with the two slimmer side boosters, the four engines on the rocket's core stage also started to burn. When the timer reached zero, the rocket's securing clamps released, allowing it to escape Earth's gravity.

A short while later, the massive core stage and then the side boosters disappeared. The Orion spacecraft, where astronauts will sit during later missions, was then propelled toward orbit by the rocket's upper engine.

The upper stage will fire one final time less than two hours after launch to direct Orion toward the moon. Orion will pass the moon's surface by 60 miles on Monday. Orion will return to Earth after spending a few weeks orbiting the moon, splashing down on December 11 in the Pacific Ocean about 60 miles off the coast of California.

This flight is the beginning of NASA's Artemis programme, which aims to return astronauts to the moon after spending 50 years idling in low-Earth orbit. It brings a new era for NASA in lunar exploration, one that aims to solve scientific puzzles in the shadows of craters in the polar regions, test equipment for hoped-for trips to Mars, and inspire private enterprises to explore uncharted territory further out in the solar system.

Originally set to launch on November 14, the Artemis 1 mission had to be delayed due to tropical storm Nicole. The Orion spacecraft and SLS rocket were left at the launch complex to weather the storm and sustained minor damage as a result.

Previous attempts by the space agency to launch the Artemis 1 mission had to be aborted due to a number of problems with the new rocket and spacecraft. Due to an issue with one of the RS-25 engines on the core stage, the first launch attempt had to be scrubbed, and the second launch attempt had to be scrubbed due to a hydrogen leak.

The upcoming Artemis mission, which will launch no earlier than 2024, will carry four astronauts around the moon but not to its surface. Currently planned for 2025, Artemis III will send two astronauts to land close to the south pole of the moon. However, that date is very likely to be pushed back.