Nasa launches Artemis Moon rocket - BBC News

6 46 we're going to take you straight to Florida there you go is it happening it's about to happen I believe after many failed attempts the Artemis one rocket that's what we're looking at now we believe is just a few moments from potentially taking off we've been here before we have this would be fourth time lucky wouldn't it should we listen in houses the three flight computers is now on battery power so there is no more hold time available because there's no more margin on the batteries so if we hold have a hold we'd have to recycle back to T minus 10 minutes and recharge those batteries the count continues a note now shortly after liftoff one minute shortly after liftoff Mission Control Houston will take control of the rocket and my colleagues Leah Cheshire will take about a minute to go and this is an unmanned rocket that NASA coming up sending towards the moon in the hope that this will prepare for an actual manned mission to the moon in the next year or so because of course they haven't been able to send a man mission for half a century this is designed to eventually send astronauts and Equipment back to the moon no people on board this one as John just said but if it works the next step is to take astronauts along for the ride should we hear the countdown under the ml and here we go Hydrogen burn off igniters initiated seven six five four stage engine start three two one booster's indignation and liftoff of Artemis one we rise together back to the moon and Beyond five entrance on the core stage and two solid rocket boosters now propelling the vehicle at 128 miles per hour good good control on the role from teams of Mission Control Houston all good calls so far now 30 seconds into the fight Harvest one first Milestone will be for the vehicle to pass through Max Q in about one minute and nine seconds into launch this is the greatest period of atmospheric force on the rocket you're watching BBC breakfast that is Artemis the rocket finally after several attempts leaving the launch pad on its way heading towards the moon we have liftoff at last um it's a mission that's going to last 25 days Artemis is going to travel 1.3 million miles and we're expecting it to return on the 11th of December but there we go Artemis this time it's real pictures we've shown graphic representation of what it might look like in the past but it has actually happened at last