This Wednesday, NASA launched its most powerful rocket ever. Destination: the Moon!

The Orion crew capsule carries three test dummies. It will fly around the Moon. The trip will take 25 days. This test will help NASA put astronauts on the Moon for the first time in 50 years.

About 15,000 people gathered. They clustered around Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The roaring takeoff made nearby buildings shake. The crowd cheered.

This launch marks the beginning of NASA’s Artemis program. In Greek mythology, Artemis was Apollo’s twin sister. NASA’s Apollo program put the first men on the Moon in 1969. The Artemis program aims to put men (and women!) back on the Moon by 2025. NASA also plans a manned flight around the Moon in 2024.

Orion should reach the Moon by Monday. NASA calls the mannequins on board “moonequins.” They wear sensors. These sensors take measurements. Scientists want to know how much the dummies shake and how fast the rocket flies.

Things will go wrong. That’s part of the plan. Experts want to discover problems before real astronauts climb aboard.

NASA originally planned the test in 2017. Leaks and other problems caused delays. This year’s Hurricane Ian and Tropical Storm Nicole didn’t help either.

Some people wonder if NASA should send people to the Moon. They say robots make better space explorers than astronauts. It also costs less to launch robots into space. By 2025, NASA will have spent $93 billion on Artemis. That’s a LOT of money.

NASA will soon announce its next Moon-bound astronauts. Christina Koch or Kayla Barron may be on the list. One of them could be the first woman to walk the Moon.

When we study God’s universe, we learn about God. His creation tells His glory. The Moon missions help us see the creativity of the Creator.

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork. — Psalm 19:1