Washington, April 1 -- NASA is preparing to launch its Artemis II mission, which will send four astronauts on a nine-day journey around the Moon, marking the agency's first crewed lunar flight in more than 50 years.
Part of its broader Artemis programme, the Artemis II aims to return humans to the Moon and support future exploration beyond Earth orbit, and will be commanded by Reid Wiseman, with Victor Glover as pilot, and Christina Koch and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen as mission specialists. Hansen will become the first Canadian to travel beyond Earth's orbit.
Liftoff is scheduled for 6:24 p.m. EDT Wednesday from Kennedy Space Center, following weeks of delays linked to hydrogen leaks and propulsion system concerns. Weather conditio...