NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft launched from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 6:35 p.m. ET on Wednesday, carrying a crew of four astronauts to low-Earth orbit. In about 25 hours, Orion will set course toward the Moon.
At T-0, the SLS boosters ignited in an explosion of fire, generating a whopping 8.8 million pounds of thrust to propel the Orion spacecraft skyward. The SLS lifted off about 11 minutes into the 2-hour launch window, which opened at 6:24 p.m. Shortly after ignition, the rocket cleared the launch tower, surpassed supersonic speed, and jettisoned its solid rocket boosters.
At 6:43 p.m., the rocket’s core stage separated, placing the Orion spacecraft and the upper stage (also known as the interim cryogenic propulsion stage) into LEO. About 16 minutes later, Orion’s solar array wings unfurled, completing a key configuration step. These arrays supply power to all of Orion’s systems, from propulsion to life support.
This achievement was a long time coming. It’s been 54 years since the last Apollo mission returned to Earth, and humans have not left low-Earth orbit since. Over the next nine days, the Artemis 2 astronauts will venture deeper into space than the Apollo missions ever did, swinging around the far side of the Moon and back to Earth.
The Artemis 2 launch also follows multiple delays. NASA had hoped to launch during the February window, but the SLS experienced hydrogen leaks during the wet dress rehearsal that derailed those plans. Then the March window went, well, out the window when NASA had to roll the SLS back to the Vehicle Assembly Building to repair a helium flow issue.
Today, tanking both the core and upper stages of the rocket went remarkably smoothly, with no major leaks or issues. Now that Orion is finally in space, humanity is poised to return to the Moon. If everything goes as planned over the next several hours, the ICPS will perform burns to boost the spacecraft’s orbit in preparation for the translunar injection.
Approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes after launch, Orion will separate from the ICPS, and the upper stage will begin a proximity operations demonstration to test its ability to maneuver and operate safely in close proximity to Orion. Once that’s complete, the ICPS will reenter Earth’s atmosphere and splash down in the Pacific Ocean. Orion will perform a burn to adjust its orbit, and that will conclude the first day of flight.
10 days of history in the making
Assuming the mission proceeds as planned, Orion will perform the critical translunar injection burn about 25 hours after launch. This will set the spacecraft on the path to the Moon.
Orion should enter the lunar sphere of influence on the fifth day of flight. At that point, the pull of the Moon’s gravity will be stronger than Earth’s, helping the spacecraft make a fuel-efficient lunar flyby. Orion will swing around the far side of the Moon, giving the Artemis 2 astronauts a full day to observe the surface. They will see parts of the far side never before seen with the naked eye.
NASA expects Orion to exit the lunar sphere of influence and enter a return trajectory on the seventh day of flight. The spacecraft will perform a couple more burns to adjust its trajectory on the ninth and tenth days of flight before the crew capsule separates from the service module. The crew capsule will reenter Earth’s atmosphere at speeds reaching 25,000 miles per hour (40,000 kilometers per hour) and splash down off the coast of San Diego, California.
Gizmodo will be following the mission every step of the way, bringing you the latest updates as humanity makes its epic return to lunar space. Watch this space for news on all things Artemis 2.
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![‘Backrooms’ Wants You Back and Is Adding More Rooms (Footage)
Backrooms, the surprise hit of the summer, wants you back in the room. And by room, we mean theater. Its distributor, A24, is reportedly gearing up to release a new version of the film with 15 extra minutes of footage starting on July 3. According to the AMC Theaters website, the Backrooms: Everything Must Go Edition “includes 15 minutes of new, theatrically exclusive post-credit bonus footage from [director] Kane Parsons.” What exactly is in that footage, we don’t know, and surely A24 is hoping you go to the theater to find out. We would be very, very surprised, though, if it expands too greatly on the mythology of the world or its creepy, ambiguous ending. That’s certainly the hope, but with a sequel almost certainly on the way, we’d imagine most secrets will be held until then. And yet, what about Backrooms has been traditional so far? We’re just speculating. It could very well be a whole new ending with twists and turns about what exactly the backrooms are, where they came from, and what their purpose is. The move comes as the summer season really heats up with the upcoming releases of Minions & Monsters, The Odyssey, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day over the next few weeks. Currently, Backrooms sits at about $185 million domestically but grossed only about $4 million this past weekend, good enough for sixth place.
Adding additional footage to get a few more repeat viewings is probably aimed at crossing the $200 million mark domestically, which would be an incredible feat. Not that grossing over $185 million in the U.S. and over $330 million worldwide isn’t already an incredible feat on its own.
Are you ready to head back to the theater to see more Backrooms? Is there anything that could be added that would be a disappointment? Let us know below. And to check if the Backrooms: Everything Must Go Edition is coming to your local theater, check its ticketing website. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who. #Backrooms #Adding #Rooms #FootageBackrooms,Kane Parsons ‘Backrooms’ Wants You Back and Is Adding More Rooms (Footage)
Backrooms, the surprise hit of the summer, wants you back in the room. And by room, we mean theater. Its distributor, A24, is reportedly gearing up to release a new version of the film with 15 extra minutes of footage starting on July 3. According to the AMC Theaters website, the Backrooms: Everything Must Go Edition “includes 15 minutes of new, theatrically exclusive post-credit bonus footage from [director] Kane Parsons.” What exactly is in that footage, we don’t know, and surely A24 is hoping you go to the theater to find out. We would be very, very surprised, though, if it expands too greatly on the mythology of the world or its creepy, ambiguous ending. That’s certainly the hope, but with a sequel almost certainly on the way, we’d imagine most secrets will be held until then. And yet, what about Backrooms has been traditional so far? We’re just speculating. It could very well be a whole new ending with twists and turns about what exactly the backrooms are, where they came from, and what their purpose is. The move comes as the summer season really heats up with the upcoming releases of Minions & Monsters, The Odyssey, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day over the next few weeks. Currently, Backrooms sits at about $185 million domestically but grossed only about $4 million this past weekend, good enough for sixth place.
Adding additional footage to get a few more repeat viewings is probably aimed at crossing the $200 million mark domestically, which would be an incredible feat. Not that grossing over $185 million in the U.S. and over $330 million worldwide isn’t already an incredible feat on its own.
Are you ready to head back to the theater to see more Backrooms? Is there anything that could be added that would be a disappointment? Let us know below. And to check if the Backrooms: Everything Must Go Edition is coming to your local theater, check its ticketing website. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who. #Backrooms #Adding #Rooms #FootageBackrooms,Kane Parsons](https://gizmodo.com/app/uploads/2026/06/Backrooms-furnature-pile-1280x853.jpg)

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