New Delhi, April 2 -- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)'s Artemis II mission lifted off at 6:35 pm ET on Wednesday, April 1, from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The 322-foot Space Launch System (SLS) rocket provided the immense thrust needed to send the Orion spacecraft, carrying the astronauts, on its journey. Generating 8.8 million pounds of thrust at liftoff, the SLS is the most powerful rocket NASA has ever flown, delivering roughly 17% more power than the Saturn V used during the Apollo missions.

After lifting off successfully from the Kennedy Space Center, the Orion capsule spent its first day in high Earth orbit conducting crucial system checks. The Artemis II astronauts continue orbiting E...