NASA Artemis II astronauts revved up for rocket launch
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Four astronauts will launch on the Artemis II mission Wednesday, marking the first human trip around the moon in over 50 years.
The countdown clock for a Wednesday launch attempt of NASA’s Artemis II mission began ticking at 4:44 p.m. Monday at Kennedy Space Center. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket using a fleet-leading booster for
Artemis II could send humans near the moon for the 1st time since 1972 and crowds are expected to flood the Space Coast to bear witness.
The next Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, potentially heading for the moon on Wednesday for the Artemis II mission, will be the most powerful operational rocket ever to launch by far, on par with the Artemis I launch in 2022.
For the first time in more than 50 years, humans are preparing to travel beyond low-Earth orbit and Artemis II is the mission that gets us there. This will be NASA’s first crewed test flight in its return-to-the-Moon program.
Artemis II isn’t the only revolutionary space mission in America’s history. Here are a few rocket launches that stand out as pivotal moments in space exploration.
Flight director Judd Frieling will be involved with the Artemis II launch and is from Central Texas and is also a graduate of the University of Texas.
As Artemis II gets ready to launch, thousands are showing up to the Space Coast to get in place and watch.
Following a March 30 rocket launch marking the final liftoff of the month from California, SpaceX has two missions on the books to kick off April.