Artemis II astronauts are hours away from moon launch

NASA's Artemis II crew of four is scheduled to launch as early as April 1 at 6:24 p.m. Eastern, with a live stream beginning at 12:50 p.m. Eastern, and the mission is planned to circle the moon and return in just under 10 days.

NASA's Artemis II crew are hours from a scheduled launch to the moon. The four-person team includes NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. The mission would be the first crewed flight in the Artemis program and follows the uncrewed Artemis I test flight in 2022. The Orion capsule sits atop a 322-foot rocket at Kennedy Space Center and is prepared for the planned launch. Key details: - Launch is slated as early as Wednesday, April 1 at 6:24 p.m. Eastern time. - A live stream of prelaunch coverage is set to begin at 12:50 p.m. Eastern time. - Crew members are Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch (all NASA), and Jeremy Hansen (Canadian Space Agency). - The spacecraft will first orbit Earth to check systems, then follow a figure-eight path around the moon and back, with the trip expected to last just under 10 days. - The Orion capsule is mounted on a 322-foot rocket at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. - Launch weather officials reported an 80% chance of favorable conditions for launch day. Summary: The mission represents the first crewed flight in the Artemis program and a step toward returning humans to lunar vicinity. The immediate next step is the scheduled launch attempt on April 1 at 6:24 p.m. Eastern, with mission progress to be reported after liftoff and during the flight.