The Artemis I mission had a tough start with several unsuccessful launches and additional delays on the day before the mission's final, successful launch at around 2 a.m. ET.
NASA live-streamed the event and also posted several videos on Twitter, on Wednesday as the Orion spacecraft started its mission to the moon. And one of the videos shared by @NASAArtemis displays the breathtaking imagery shot by the spacecraft, Orion.
"As @NASA_Orion begins #Artemis I mission to the Moon begins, the spacecraft captures these stunning views of our home planet," according to the caption from NASA while posting the video clip.
The camera recorded the video for 24 seconds as it approached the moon at a speed of 36,370 kilometres per hour.
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The primary objective of Orion is to orbit close to Earth; interestingly, Artemis I won't land on the moon but will instead orbit it for 26 days before coming back to Earth.
In a press conference held immediately following the launch, NASA administrator Bill Nelson said, "Now we are going back to the Moon, not just for the sake of going to the Moon, but to learn how to live on the Moon in order to prepare to send humans all the way to Mars."
Mr Nelson continued, "This is the next beginning, this is the Artemis generation."
Initially set to launch on November 14, the Artemis 1 mission had to be delayed due to a tropical storm. The Orion spacecraft and SLS rocket were left at the launch complex to weather the storm and sustained minor damage as a result. Previous attempts by the space agency to launch the Artemis 1 mission had to be put to halt due to a number of problems with the new rocket. Owing to a malfunction with one of the RS-25 engines on the core stage, the first launch attempt had to be scrubbed, and the second launch attempt had to be scrubbed due to a hydrogen leak.
