ATLANTA — Final checks are underway ahead of Wednesday evening’s planned launch of the Artemis II rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The mission will send four astronauts around the far side of the moon and back, marking NASA’s first manned mission toward the moon in more than 55 years. Astronauts last traveled to the moon during Apollo 17 in 1972.
CBS Radio Correspondent Peter King says the crew will begin by orbiting Earth before heading deeper into space.
“The crew will fly by the moon and photograph areas that humans have never seen before either in person or through pictures. By going several thousand miles beyond the moon, they’ll be farther into space than anyone who’s ever gone there,” King said.
King also reports the crew will spend the first day orbiting Earth to ensure systems are operating properly before firing engines on day two to begin the journey toward the moon. The spacecraft is expected to circle behind the moon on day six.
NASA engineers say they have addressed previous issues that delayed the launch, including a hydrogen leak reported in February.
ABC News correspondent Gio Benitez says crews at Kennedy Space Center have been completing final tests on the Orion spacecraft.
“They won’t land on the moon, but they’re confident the mission will demonstrate that the Orion spacecraft can survive a trip to the moon and back,” Benitez said.
Some local college graduates are also playing a role in the mission. Georgia Tech says two of its graduates are leading key parts of Artemis II.
Shawn Quinn, a member of the class of 1990, is in charge of assembling and testing the mission. Lili Villarreal, from the classes of 1996 and 1997, is serving as the mission’s landing and recovery director.
While the launch will take place in Florida, Georgia Tech is hosting a watch party at its College of Engineering for students and staff of the Georgia Tech community who want to follow along.
NASA says parts of Georgia, including Valdosta, Brunswick and Savannah, could see the rocket about 70 seconds after launch as it travels over the Atlantic, weather permitting. The launch is not expected to be visible in metro Atlanta.
More than one million people are expected to travel to Florida’s Space Coast to watch the launch.
Space consultant Mark Strassman spoke with flight director Judd Freeling about the critical early moments of the mission.
“I mean it is a huge rocket. A lot of things are going on in that eight minutes,” Freeling said.
When asked if those first minutes are the most important, Freeling responded, “Absolutely.”
If the launch proceeds as planned, the astronauts will travel faster and farther into space than any humans before, eventually re-entering Earth’s atmosphere and splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.
WSB will carry live coverage of the countdown and launch on 95.5 WSB and on the WSB Radio app.
WSB Radio’s Ashley Simmons contributed to this story.
