The first mission to launch astronauts toward the moon in 54 years is almost a go.
A crew of four astronauts is scheduled to lift off at 6:24 p.m. on April 1 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida in the first manned mission toward the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972.
During the Artemis II mission, astronauts will embark on a 10-day journey that will include two trips around Earth before heading toward the moon, which they will orbit but not land on.
The originally scheduled launch in February was delayed by a hydrogen leak and a pressurization issue. The mission involves testing technologies that NASA will need for "long-term lunar exploration and human missions to Mars," according to the agency.
NASA aims to put astronauts on the moon's lunar surface in 2028 with its Artemis IV mission.
Here is what to know about the mission and how to watch the liftoff.
Who Is the Crew of the Artemis II?
The four-person crew consists of commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen, who is a Canadian astronaut.
"We are ready. NASA is ready," Wiseman said at a press conference on March 27. "This vehicle is definitely ready to go."
Hansen will be the first Canadian, Koch the first woman and Glover the first Black astronaut to head to deep space.
"It’s about human history," Glover said at the news conference. "It’s the story of humanity, not Black history, not women’s history, but that it becomes human history."
The mission is expected to take the crew more than 280,000 miles from Earth, which would be the farthest in history, passing the mark of 248,655 miles set in 1970 by the Apollo 13 mission.
"It’s a stepping stone to Mars, where we might have the most likelihood of finding evidence of past life," Koch said at the news conference.
The crew will also be traveling with Rise, a stuffed toy that will also serve as their zero-gravity indicator. The moon mascot will provide a visual indication of when they reach space, according to NASA.
The winning design of the mascot, which looks like a soccer ball with a baseball hat on, was submitted by Lucas Ye, a second-grader from Mountain View, Calif., according to NASA.
When Is the Mission Scheduled for Launch?
There are three two-hour windows of time for the potential launch, starting with between 6:24 p.m. ET and 8:24 p.m. ET on April 1. If there are no complications or weather issues, the launch will happen at 6:24 p.m. ET. on Wednesday.
The countdown to launch began on March 30 when engineers started powering up flight hardware, checking communication links and preparing the rocket’s cryogenic systems, according to NASA.
TODAY weatherman Al Roker shared the forecast for the three windows of time for a potential launch, saying the weather for April 1 provides an 80% chance that it will be a go. Al will be there live on April 1 to witness the launch in person.
Temperatures are expected to be in the 60s with light winds and a slight chance of showers on April 1, so the wind and temperature are not expected to be issues.
In the second window between 7:22 p.m. and 9:22 p.m. ET on April 2, it's expected to be partly cloudy in the 70s with a chance of thunderstorms.
In the final available window of this week between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. ET on April 3, partly cloudy skies with temperatures in the 70s and a slight chance of showers are expected.
If the mission is launched on April 1, the crew will return on April 10 by splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego.
How to Watch the Artemis II Launch Livestream
NASA will be streaming the launch live on its YouTube channel beginning at 12:50 p.m. ET on April 1. It also has cameras aboard the Orion spacecraft that will contain the crew.
What Could Prevent the Launch from Happening?
Al Roker outlined the possible weather conditions that could force the launch to be delayed or called off during the windows of time.
The rocket and spacecraft won't launch due to any of the following issues:
- It won't launch for 30 minutes after lightning is observed within 12 miles
- If there's a cloud layer that's within six miles and has freezing temperatures
- If there's precipitation
- If the temperature exceeds 94.5 degrees Fahrenheit or peak liftoff winds exceed 33 miles per hour.
- If there is severe or extreme solar activity
Al added that there is no indication that 90-plus-degree temperatures, high winds or extreme solar activity is expected to occur during the launch windows.
