Sometime after 6:24 pm EDT today, four American astronauts will launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the Artemis II mission, making the first US journey completely around the Moon since 1972.
The Orion reusable spacecraft, created by Lockheed Martin and Airbus Defence and Space, sitting atop an SLS rocket, is now going through final preparations for launch. Fortunately, there is an 80% chance of optimal weather conditions today, including solar weather, so the Artemis II launch is likely to occur as planned.
Here’s everything you need to know about the historic launch, as well as how you can watch NASA’s coverage throughout the day.
Artemis II Mission
After launching from Kennedy Space Center, the Artemis II mission will fly in a figure eight formation around the far side of the Moon and return to Earth. US Navy veteran Reid Wiseman, who will command the mission, is no stranger to space, having already completed two space walks from the International Space Station.
Pilot Victor Glover, also of the US Navy, will be the first Black astronaut to fly around the Moon. Meanwhile, mission specialist Christina Koch has already made headlines as part of the first all-female space walk, while the other mission specialist, Jeremy Hansen, will be the first Canadian to cross the far side of the Moon.
The mission will last 10 days, marking a crucial test of NASA’s future deep-space exploration plans. Lessons learned during Artemis II will be applied to planning for Artemis IV, scheduled for 2028, planned as the first crewed Moon landing since 1972, and the beginning of the Space Agency’s aggressive plan to build up lunar infrastructure.
Final Preparations for Artemis II
All hands are on deck, making sure Artemis II is primed for a safe and successful trip around the Moon. Weather officers at the US Space Force’s Space Launch Delta 45 are working with NASA to provide continual weather monitoring up until the big event. Yesterday, engineers began their final checks on the rocket engines, sensors, and connections to ensure everything was in working order.
It was reported that the SLS upper stage had already been powered up, checked, and powered down to a stable state awaiting launch. Power-up activities were ongoing with the Orion spacecraft’s batteries already charged, and engineers moved on to powering the rocket’s core stage flight batteries.
Additionally, engineers checked the seals on individual pressure suits, a backup measure in the unlikely circumstance that the cabin depressurizes. Lastly, NASA closed yesterday’s preparations by shifting the launch pad at Complex 39B to its final configuration.
Artemis II Launch Day
This morning, at the start of launch day, the ground launch sequencer was activated, synchronizing the thousands of final commands to prepare the rocket.
The SLS rocket was almost ready for fueling, but first, engineers replaced the oxygen and moisture in the rocket’s cavities with inert nitrogen gas to create a safer, more stable environment for fueling. Following this, the core stage was fueled with liquid hydrogen, and engineers have already moved on to the upper stage.
Liquid hydrogen leaks discovered in the SLS rocket led to the postponement of the mission from its original launch date earlier this year. Successful completion of this step in the core stage indicates that NASA’s efforts to mitigate the issue have succeeded.
With this crucial step completed and the weather cooperating, everything appears to be on track for a successful launch this evening.
How You Can Watch the Historic Artemis II Launch
Full coverage of launch day operations began at around 12:50 p.m. Eastern Time, and viewers at home can tune in and watch throughout the day by visiting NASA’s Official YouTube Channel:
Additionally, viewers can also follow the Artemis launch coverage on Amazon Prime Video, which will also provide access to NASA coverage of the historic launch.
Finally, for additional details in advance of today’s launch, check out NASA’s official page for Live Artemis II Launch Day Updates, and for a deeper look at the mission and its objectives, you can read more at NASA’s official Artemis II FAQ page.
Ryan Whalen covers science and technology for The Debrief. He holds an MA in History and a Master of Library and Information Science with a certificate in Data Science. He can be contacted at ryan@thedebrief.org, and follow him on Twitter @mdntwvlf.