During NASA's post-launch press conference, space agency chief Jared Isaacman revealed Artemis II suffered a communications issue, preventing NASA from hearing the crew's messages for a brief time.

Isaacman added that the issue was not affecting the rest of the craft and NASA would be working to figure out what caused the temporary blackout.

'About 51 minutes into the flight, during a planned handover between satellites, the Orion spacecraft underwent a communications issue, leading to a temporary partial loss,' Isaacman said at a press conference.

'The uplink from Cap Com [Capsule Communication] to the crew was being heard by the crew, but we can’t hear the responses for a brief period of time,' he added, noting the issue has been resolved.

Isaacman said, 'There were no issues with the vehicle itself. Comms with the crew have been restored. We’re actively working the issue.'

NASA associate administrator Amit Kshatriya said the crews who work on the spacecraft have a lot to learn from the Artemis II launch.

'We’ve got a lot in front of us,' said Kshatriya. 'It’s a big celebration in Launch Control for the rocket guys.'

He added, 'The rocket guys can go out and play now, but the spacecraft guys have got a lot of homework.'

President Donald Trump congratulated NASA and the astronauts aboard Artemis II as he began his presidential address on Wednesday night.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he spoke with Donald Trump about the Artemis II launch.

'Earlier this evening I spoke with President Trump and congratulated him on the successful launch of Artemis II,' he wrote on X.

'We discussed the courage of the astronauts, including Colonel Jeremy Hansen, the value of cooperation in space, and developments in the Middle East conflict.'

In a press briefing after Artemis II's takeoff, NASA chief Jared Isaacman revealed why the United States had not returned to the moon since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.

'Financial resources are part of the equation. NASA's budget, if I recall, was somewhere between 4 and 4.5 percent of the discretionary budget during the Space Race, about a quarter percentage of that today,' he said.

'To be very honest with you, I think competition is a factor in this as well. It's a great way to mobilize the resources of a nation.

'Competition can be a good thing. And we certainly have competition now.'

NASA officials confirmed during their Wednesday press conference that Artemis II will be able to see a lunar eclipse while on route to the moon.

NASA associate administrator Dr Lori Glaze said the four member crew will see the moon blocking the sun as the Orion spacecraft nears lunar orbit on April 6.

Glaze said: 'The crew will get to observe the eclipse. It doesn't happen while they're out of comms, so they will be having communication during that eclipse time.'

Day 1: With liftoff complete, the crew will spend their first hours in space putting Orion through a series of checks to confirm the spacecraft is operating as expected following launch.

Day 2: Astronauts are scheduled to begin routine physical exercise to maintain strength in microgravity.

Later in the day, Orion will perform the critical translunar injection burn, a powerful engine firing designed to send the spacecraft out of Earth orbit and on course toward the moon.

Day 3: A smaller engine maneuver is planned to fine-tune Orion’s path and ensure it remains precisely aligned with its intended trajectory.

Day 4: Another adjustment burn is expected as mission controllers continue to refine the spacecraft’s route through deep space.

Day 5: Orion is projected to enter what NASA calls the Moon’s sphere of influence, the point at which lunar gravity overtakes Earth’s pull and begins guiding the spacecraft toward its destination.

Day 6: This marks the mission’s most dramatic milestone: the lunar flyby. Orion will sweep closest to the moon on this day, while also reaching its maximum distance from Earth, farther than any humans have ever traveled from their home planet.

Day 7: After looping around the moon, Orion will begin its return journey, leaving the Moon’s gravitational influence and heading back toward Earth.

Day 8: Astronauts will conduct key safety demonstrations, including testing procedures designed to shield the crew from dangerous solar radiation events, such as solar flares. The crew will also practice manually steering the spacecraft.

Day 9: This will be the astronauts’ final full day in space as Orion continues its long descent toward Earth.

Day 10: The mission concludes with a fiery return through Earth’s atmosphere, where Orion is expected to endure temperatures nearing 3,000F.

Parachutes will deploy to slow the spacecraft before it splashes down in the Pacific Ocean, bringing the landmark mission to an end.

The Artemis II crew is dealing with a 'controller issue' with the toilet on board the Orion capsule, NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya said.

The issue may take 'a few hours to troubleshoot,' he added.

Astronaut Christina Koch told Mission Control, 'The toilet shut down on its own, and I have a blinking amber fault light.'

The Artemis II's takeoff was projected onto the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. this evening for city residents to enjoy.

'Cheering on the astronauts and crew of Artemis II from America's Front Yard. Out of this world!' The National Mall wrote on X.

Some lucky people had a front row seat to the historic Artemis II launch, catching views from an airplane.

Star Trek's William Shatner not only played the famous Captain Kirk, he also traveled to space himself in 2021.

Drawing on his experience during the Blue Origin flight, Shatner, 95, told CNN that he was extremely tense watching the first few minutes of the Artemis II launch Wednesday evening, before feeling immense pride in NASA's long-awaited triumph.

Shatner said: 'What a shaking of the fist for the victory and what a what a plug for American technology ad American space program.'

As for what the crew of Artemis II was likely seeing and feeling on their historic mission, the sci-fi icon said the view from space can be overwhelming, seeing the stark contrast between the darkness of space and the beauty of Earth.

'I went to the window to look at the magic, and I saw this black, palpable, darkness, which was death. And I looked behind me, and I saw the the beige of the desert and the white of the clouds, the blue, the sky. That's life. That's death.'

The acting legend also spoke about the participation of his home country of Canada in the Artemis project and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen being a member of the crew.

'We're very proud of what, Canadians have contributed to this, exploration of space exploration, of mankind's reach,' Shatner said.

'The possibility of going to Mars and discovering more about the mystery of the universe, all that so many nations have contributed and led by America and its unquestionable excellence in technological advancement.'