This footage shows NASA’s Artemis 1 spacecraft Orion making a spectacular liftoff from their space centre in Florida to the Moon as it is carried by the world’s most powerful rocket.

The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket carried Orion as it began its space journey after it set off for an exploration program from the Kennedy Space Center, located on Merritt Island in the US state of Florida on 16th November.

Newsflash obtained a statement from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, which said: “NASA’s Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft lift off on Artemis I from Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 16, 2022, at 1:47 a.m. EST.

“The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown.”

The spacecraft Orion is expected to travel approximately 40,000 miles (64,000 kilometres) beyond the Moon and return to Earth over the course of 25.5 days, according to NASA.

Mike Sarafin, Artemis I mission manager said: “With the accomplishment of the first major milestone of the mission, Orion will now embark on the next phase to test its systems and prepare for future missions with astronauts.”

NASA claimed it is now one step closer to its plan to send the first woman and the first person of colour to the surface of the Moon through the Artemis missions.