France, April 1 -- Artemis II will carry four astronauts - three Americans and one Canadian - around the Moon, in what will be the first crewed mission of the programme.

The launch is expected at Cape Canaveral, Florida in the United States, drawing attention around the world to a mission seen as a key step in returning humans to the Moon.

According to local Florida newspapers, some 400,000 people are expected to turn up to watch the liftoff, which is currently slated for Wednesday at 6:24 pm local time (22h24 UT)

More than six decades ago, the US was making a very different case for the future of space.

Artemis II: humanity's return to the Moon reaches the launch pad A call for cooperation

On 20 September, 1963, President Kennedy st...