NASA’s Artemis II rocket inched out of the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center before dawn, barely hitting 1 mph. This slow but deliberate pace signals the next phase in humanity’s return to the moon.

The U.S. military’s uncrewed X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle has launched on a secret mission, departing Cape Canaveral on a Thursday evening aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. While the operation’s purpose remains confidential, observers are drawn by the shuttle’s autonomy and the government-commercial partnership that made this mission possible.