First crewed mission to the moon in 54 years: NASA begins countdown

 

NASA 

First crewed mission to the moon in 54 years: NASA begins countdown

On Monday, NASA began the countdown to the first crewed mission to lunar orbit in more than half a century, which could pave the way for broader journeys.
Specifically, the initial launch window for the Artemis 2 mission from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida was set for Wednesday, April 1st, at 6:24 PM (22:24 GMT).
 NASA officials also clarified that the countdown began Monday at 4:44 PM.
NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatra told a press briefing that "the spacecraft is ready, the system is ready, and the crew is ready." He added that "behind this mission lies a broader campaign," referring to recently announced projects including the establishment of a lunar base, according to AFP.

"Excellent situation"

If Wednesday's date is postponed or cancelled for some reason, another grace period is available until April 6th.
NASA officials also expressed optimism about the progress of engineering and final preparations. "We will fly when everything is ready," said NASA Administrator Charlie Blackwell-Thompson to reporters, adding that "all indications are now very positive."

The four astronauts involved in the mission have entered quarantine. They are Americans Reid Wiseman, Christina Hammock Cook, and Victor Glover, and Canadian Jeremy Hansen.
NASA officials reported that they would be able to have dinner with their families at a Florida beach house.

Technical problems and weather conditions

The Artemis 2 mission, the first since Apollo in 1972, is supposed to last about 10 days, during which the crew will orbit the moon, in preparation for the next journey that will constitute the long-awaited return of humans to the surface of the moon with the aim of establishing a permanent presence this time.

But this mission itself is unprecedented on several levels. It is the first mission to lunar orbit to include a woman, a non-white astronaut, and a non-American astronaut. NASA will use its new SLS rocket for the mission.

The Artemis program, unveiled during Donald Trump's first term, aims to eventually establish a permanent human presence on the moon and pave the way for future missions to Mars, but it has suffered many delays in recent years.

The uncrewed Artemis 1 mission launched in November 2022 after several delays and two previous unsuccessful attempts. Artemis 2 was originally scheduled to launch in February, but several problems delayed the launch and forced NASA to return the rocket to the launch site for inspection and repairs.

In addition to the technical aspects, weather-related factors must also be considered. NASA announced on Monday that forecasts indicate an "80% probability of favorable weather conditions," explaining that they are focusing particularly on "cloud cover and the potential for strong winds." Their teams are also monitoring the sun's movements.