CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The Artemis 2 crew is in place at Kennedy Space Center, gearing up for NASA’s first moon mission in over 50 years. Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency touched down in T-38 jets at 2:15 p.m. EDT today.
They’re set to launch on April 1 aboard NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS), carrying the Orion spacecraft on a 10-day journey around the moon. This marks the first crewed mission of the Artemis program since Apollo 17 in 1972.
The crew members have been in quarantine since March 20, a precaution after the SLS was moved to Launch Complex-39B. This step comes after earlier maintenance issues caused a rollback to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB).
Although they won’t land on the moon, this mission will test Orion’s life support systems with astronauts onboard. The spacecraft will take a route known as a free-return trajectory, which allows it to circle the moon and return to Earth without major engine burns.
NASA aims for Artemis 3 to demonstrate the lunar landers next year. Then, they plan a historic lunar landing with Artemis 4 in 2028. The goal is to establish a lasting human presence on the moon throughout the 2030s, involving habitats and regular cargo missions.
Isaacman, a spaceflight expert, emphasized that this mission is all about testing and learning. He mentioned, “This means plenty of opportunities for scientific and technological advancements.” The public response has been overwhelmingly positive, with many on social media expressing excitement about humanity’s return to the moon.
As for the launch preparations, Wiseman expressed his excitement on the tarmac, thanking the NASA team that made this milestone possible. NASA plans to fuel the SLS with liquid hydrogen and oxygen on Wednesday morning, aiming for a launch during a two-hour window starting at 6:24 p.m. EDT.
With the chance of delays, NASA has set up four launch attempts between April 1-6, plus additional opportunities later in the month should they need more time. Each step brings us closer to exploring the moon again and eventually paving the way for future missions to Mars.
For more detailed updates, you can visit NASA’s official page [here](https://www.nasa.gov).
