The launch of the Artemis II mission, which will mark the return of humans to lunar orbit, is scheduled for tomorrow, April 1, 2026. NASA has confirmed that everything is ready for liftoff from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 6:24 PM local time (10:24 PM GMT). This will be the first crewed trip to lunar orbit since 1972, a significant milestone in space exploration.
The SLS rocket and the Orion spacecraft are on the launch pad, while the countdown began on Monday with an 80% chance of good weather. However, NASA has identified risks such as strong winds and overcast skies, although it is expected that there will only be a 20% chance of rain on launch day.
The astronauts on board are Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, Victor Glover, and Jeremy Hansen, who will represent the Canadian Space Agency. Koch, who will become the first woman to reach lunar orbit, emphasized the importance of this mission in answering fundamental questions about life in the universe.
Artemis II will last ten days, and its crew is expected to travel over 400,000 kilometers away from Earth, becoming the first humans to see the far side of the Moon. The mission is part of an ambitious lunar exploration plan aimed at establishing a permanent presence on the natural satellite.
