CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) – On Monday, NASA initiated the countdown for humanity’s first lunar launch in more than five decades.
Standing 32 stories tall, the Space Launch System rocket is set to lift off Wednesday evening, carrying four astronauts on board.
The mission involves a day-long orbit around Earth, following which the Orion capsule will journey to the moon and back. The flight includes a swift loop around the moon with no stops, culminating in a Pacific Ocean splashdown after nearly 10 days.
“Our team has worked extremely hard to get us to this moment,” stated launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson.
“Certainly all indications are right now we are in excellent, excellent shape.”
Managers have reported that the rocket is in good condition after recent repairs, with forecasts indicating favorable weather conditions.
Initially scheduled for February, NASA’s Artemis II mission was delayed due to hydrogen fuel leaks.
Following repairs, a clog in the helium pressurization line necessitated a return to the hangar late last month.
The rocket was brought back to the launch pad about 10 days ago, with its US-Canadian crew reaching the launch site last Friday.
Unlike the Apollo missions from 1968 to 1972, which only sent men to the moon, the Artemis crew features a woman, a person of color, and a non-US citizen.
Artemis II pilot Victor Glover expressed his hope that young people will see the mission and be inspired, saying, “Girl power and that’s awesome, and that young brown boys and girls can look at me and go ‘Hey, he looks like me and he’s doing what???'”
Related: NASA’s First Moon Crew in More Than 50 Years Is Making History Already
Glover, who is Black, also looks forward to a future when “one day we don’t have to talk about these firsts” and space exploration becomes a wider “human history.”
NASA has until the first six days of April to launch Artemis II, after which they will pause until the month’s end.
