Artemis II astronauts prepare to leave Earth’s orbit and head towards the moon

Nasa mission enters its second day, with crew hoping to become first people to get close to the moon in over 50 years

Four astronauts are preparing to leave Earth’s orbit and slingshot towards the moon as Nasa’s Artemis II mission enters its second day.

The high-stakes 10-day voyage will mark the first time in half a century that humans leave space close to Earth and return to the vicinity of the moon. It is a crucial test of Nasa’s ambition to land humans back on the lunar surface this decade, and stay there permanently.