NASA's Artemis II mission launches Wednesday from Kennedy Space Center, carrying four astronauts on humanity's farthest journey from Earth. The mission marks the first crewed flight of the Orion spacecraft after 20 years of development.
Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen will travel more than 250,000 miles from Earth, setting records for distance and speed as they return at 25,000 mph.
The 322-foot Space Launch System rocket must overcome challenges including hydrogen leaks that plagued previous tests. Engineers replaced seals after February's fueling issues, with launch scheduled for 6:24 pm EDT within a two-hour window.
Weather forecasts show 80% favorable conditions. The crew awakens 8 hours before launch, boarding the Orion capsule approximately 3 hours before liftoff.
Following separation from the upper stage, astronauts will manually maneuver around the spent vehicle to test docking procedures for future lunar lander operations. Communications systems will be tested during deep space operations.
Artemis II serves as a critical test for NASA's long-term goal of establishing a sustained human presence on the Moon, with lunar surface missions targeted for 2028. Humans have not returned to the Moon since 1972.