NASA enters final phase for historic Artemis II crewed launch
News Desk/Agencies
Florida: NASA has moved into the final countdown phase for its Artemis II mission, marking a major milestone as the agency prepares for its first crewed lunar test flight in over five decades.
The countdown officially began at 4:44 pm EDT at the Kennedy Space Center, with launch teams taking their positions inside the Rocco Petrone Launch Control Center.
Liftoff is targeted for 6:24 pm on Wednesday, April 1.
Artemis II will be the first mission to carry astronauts aboard NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft, a key step toward future human missions to the Moon and beyond.
Critical systems powering up
With the countdown underway, engineers have begun activating flight systems, verifying communication networks and preparing for the complex fueling operation involving super-cooled liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.
At Launch Pad 39B, ground crews are also filling the sound suppression system, a massive water tank designed to release a deluge at liftoff to protect the rocket from extreme acoustic energy generated during launch.
Crew in quarantine, ready for launch
The four-member crew, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency, is currently in quarantine at the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building.
The astronauts are undergoing final medical checks, following strict sleep and nutrition schedules, and receiving continuous updates on mission readiness and weather conditions as part of standard pre-launch protocols.
Weather teams, including officials from the US Space Force’s Space Launch Delta 45, are closely monitoring conditions ahead of fueling operations. Current forecasts indicate an 80% chance of favorable weather, with cloud cover and potential high winds identified as the main concerns.
Global audience set to watch
NASA will begin live coverage of fueling operations on its YouTube channel from 7:45 am on April 1, with full mission broadcast available on NASA+ starting at 12:50 pm.
A recent pre-launch briefing by NASA leadership highlighted the mission’s readiness, underscoring the significance of Artemis II as a critical step toward returning humans to deep space exploration.
