KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, April 2 --  Four astronauts blasted off aboard a massive Nasa rocket yesterday on a long-anticipated journey around the Moon, the first crewed lunar flyby in more than 50 years.

With a thunderous roar that reverberated far beyond the launchpad, the enormous orange-and-white rocket carried three Americans and one Canadian away from Florida's Kennedy Space Center at approximately 6.35pm local time.

Nasa teams and spectators alike were ecstatic as the spacecraft ascended into a radiant sky atop a cascade of flames.

"We're going to the Moon!" one onlooker exclaimed.

During final checks before Artemis 2 was deemed a go for launch, astronauts gave brief words: "We are going for all humanity," said the Canadian abo...