For NASA, Artemis II is part of a broader effort to establish a sustained human presence on the moon and eventually send astronauts to Mars. “I’m just so excited that we’re standing on the precipice of this next generation of human exploration,” Young said.

It's a carousel of work to get a rocket to space, and with Artemis II's recent moon mission, the Johnson Space Center in Houston is its launchpad.

Following Wednesday evening’s launch, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman quipped about the long break in human flights to the Moon since Apollo 17. “After a brief 54-year intermission, NASA is back in the business of sending astronauts to the Moon,” he said at a post-launch news conference.

NASA's latest photos from the Artemis II mission show Earth in stunning details as the astronauts near a milestone distance of 100,000 miles away.

The world is already seeing stunning images from the Artemis II crew's voyage. On Friday, NASA released photos of Earth alongside an onboard video update from the spacecraft. CBS News senior national correspondent Mark Strassman reports.

In a document explaining the NASA cuts, the Trump administration said it seeks to slash funding for “unnecessary and overpriced activities.” Under the White House plan, NASA will focus on the administration’s priority of landing humans on the Moon before the end of Trump’s term in office, then building a Moon base.