Four astronauts including Christina Koch and Victor Glover are set to launch from Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday evening, but weather conditions in Florida will determine if the historic Moon mission goes ahead
NASA has commenced its countdown for humanity's first Moon mission in over half a century - though meteorological conditions will ultimately decide whether the Artemis 2 crew lifts off tomorrow. Four astronauts stationed within the Space Launch System rocket are poised to launch from NASA 's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Wednesday evening.
Following a day orbiting Earth, their Orion capsule will transport them to the Moon and back on the first crewed lunar voyage since 1972. The approximately 10-day, 600,000-mile journey will end with a Pacific Ocean splashdown. NASA maintains rigorous weather requirements that must be satisfied before the Artemis 2 launch can proceed. Florida's conditions presently appear promising for Wednesday, with settled and dry weather predicted throughout most of the day. On Tuesday, NASA assessed the weather outlook as '80 per cent go' for Wednesday's launch. Should conditions fall beyond acceptable parameters, the space agency's meteorologists will 'scrub' or postpone the mission. Primary concerns include cloud cover and the possibility of strong winds. During NASA's mission briefing on Monday, launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson said she felt 'pretty good about our chances'. Amit Kshatriya, NASA's associate administrator, said there were 'no issues preventing us from pressing ahead', adding that the launch will only be delayed by the weather if conditions move out of an 'acceptable range'. Weather forecast for NASA's Artemis 2 launch Weather prediction firm AccuWeather seems to support NASA meteorologists' evaluations, reports the Mirror . 'The weather seems to be cooperating for a Wednesday launch,' AccuWeather meteorologist Lydia Burroughs told Newsweek. 'Showers from earlier in the day may be lingering in the area into the evening, but the risk for rain or lightning during the launch window is low.' Nevertheless, Burroughs informed the publication that isolated thunderstorms are possible throughout the remainder of the week into Monday, which might trigger additional postponements should a later lift-off be required. She noted that winds ought to stay gentle, with temperatures peaking above 26C and dropping to between 15C and 20C overnight. NASA's Artemis 2 mission was initially set to blast off in February but faced postponement owing to hydrogen fuel leaks. While the leaks were resolved, a helium pressurisation line subsequently became blocked, sending the rocket back to the hangar late last month. The rocket made its way back to the pad a week and a half ago, and its crew touched down at the launch facility on Friday following completion of a 14-day quarantine. The crew comprises commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch - all NASA astronauts - and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. Should Wednesday's launch proceed as scheduled and the lunar journey unfold successfully, Koch will make history as the first woman to voyage to Earth's sole natural satellite. Glover will break barriers as the first person of colour and black astronaut to venture into deep space, while Hansen will become the first Canadian - and non-American - to journey to the Moon. This represents a welcome shift from the Apollo-era astronauts, who were exclusively white American men, many with military backgrounds.
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