WASHINGTON—Congressman Robert Aderholt (AL-04) released the following statement after the successful Artemis I launch at Cape Canaveral, Florida early Wednesday morning.

“I am beyond excited that Artemis I has taken to the sky. This historic moment marks the beginning of a new era of human presence and permanence in space with the United States at the helm.”

 “I am sending my sincerest congratulations to the Artemis team, NASA, and everyone involved, especially our incredible workforce here in Alabama, in making this extraordinary feat possible.”

 Artemis I is the first of several missions by NASA to send astronauts back to the moon. The uncrewed mission will serve as a test of the capabilities of the NASA Space Launch System and Lockheed Martin’s Orion capsule in delivering astronauts to lunar orbit.

The mission is slated to last 25 days, with the Orion capsule traveling a total of 1.3 million miles around and past the moon before its return to Earth on December 11, 2022.

Congressman Robert Aderholt serves as the Ranking Member on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science that funds NASA through the annual federal budget.