Artemis II offers a much-needed reminder for these uncertain times

This is an adapted excerpt from the April 1 episode of “All In with Chris Hayes.”

We are living in historic times, and often not in a good way. But an awe-inspiring bit of history began on Wednesday evening after four astronauts set off on a journey that will take them farther than any humans have ever traveled.

At 6:35 p.m. ET, the Artemis II lunar flyby expedition lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It is the most ambitious mission since the Apollo program first took us to the moon.

Over the next 10 days, the Artemis astronauts will leave Earth’s orbit and hurtle toward the moon. They will travel across its dark side, then use lunar gravity to slingshot back toward Earth.

The Artemis astronauts will go faster and deeper into space than anyone has ever gone before, venturing 5,000 miles past the moon and returning home at about 25,000 mph.

(L-R) Mission specialist Jeremy Hansen of CSA (Canadian Space Agency), pilot Victor Glover, commander Reid Wiseman and mission specialist Christina Koch walk out of the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building ahead of the launch of the Artemis II. — (L-R) Mission specialist Jeremy Hansen of CSA (Canadian Space Agency), pilot Victor Glover, commander Reid Wiseman and mission specialist Christina Koch walk out of the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building ahead of the launch of the Artemis II at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on April 01, 2026 in Cape Canaveral, Fl. Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

Each member of the Artemis crew represents a first in their own right: Reid Wiseman, the mission commander, will become the oldest person ever to leave low Earth orbit; pilot Victor Glover will be the first person of color; mission specialist Christina Cook will be the first woman; and Canadian mission specialist Jeremy Hansen will be the first non-U.S. citizen to leave Earth’s orbit for the moon.

Earlier this year, Hanson talked about the importance of that mission beyond national borders.

“The Artemis campaign and missions have set such an ambitious goal for humanity that it’s inspiring contributions from around the globe,” he said. “Not just one nation is inspired and moved by this, but nations around the globe are coming together.”

Artemis II is just the start of a new phase in human space exploration. By 2028, it’s hoped the program will land a crew on the moon. From there, future missions will be planned to build a lunar base that could one day help send a crewed spacecraft to Mars.

It’s a wonderful reminder that, even in uncertain times, humanity is capable of great things when we work together for a common good.

Allison Detzel contributed.

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