NASA’s Artemis II mission launched astronauts into space for the first time in nearly 54 years, marking a major step in the agency’s lunar exploration program.

The spacecraft is currently orbiting Earth and will soon begin its journey toward the moon, with a planned flyby rather than a landing.

The four-member crew includes astronauts from the U.S. and Canada, who are testing systems, conducting health studies, and evaluating the spacecraft’s performance.

The mission will take them farther from Earth than any humans have traveled before, reaching beyond the far side of the moon, The Guardian has reported.

Artemis II is intended to pave the way for future missions, including eventual plans for a permanent lunar base and a crewed landing later this decade.