NASA Artemis II astronauts launching to moon today : NPR
NPR • • general
Key Points:
- NASA is preparing to launch the Artemis II mission, which will send four astronauts around the moon and back, marking the farthest humans have traveled from Earth since Apollo 17 in 1972.
- The Orion capsule will lift off from Kennedy Space Center atop a 322-foot rocket, with the launch window opening Wednesday at 6:24 p.m. Eastern time.
- Artemis II will orbit Earth first to test spacecraft systems before completing a figure-eight trajectory around the moon, with the entire mission lasting just under 10 days.
- This crewed mission is a key milestone in NASA’s Artemis program, aiming to return humans to the lunar surface and establish a permanent presence, including a future moon base.
- Weather conditions have an 80% chance of being favorable for launch, and NASA officials emphasize the emotional significance as the countdown approaches ignition.
