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The stage is set for NASA’s monumental mission to send humans back to the moon, with the rocket fueled and astronauts suited for launch.
Excited spectators have gathered at Florida’s Space View Park, eagerly awaiting the 9:24 AM AEDT liftoff of the Artemis II mission.
In the early hours today, NASA commenced fueling the moon rocket, a crucial step that raised tensions as hydrogen fuel began to flow into the system in preparation for the scheduled launch.
Previously, this process had been fraught with issues, as dangerous hydrogen leaks during a countdown test earlier this year led to significant delays.
Fortunately, this time around, fueling concluded smoothly on Wednesday without any major leaks, paving the way for the highly anticipated launch.
The launch team loaded more than 2.6 million litres of fuel into the 32-story Space Launch System rocket on the pad, setting the stage for the Artemis II crew to board.
“It is time to fly,” commander Reid Wiseman said on the eve of launch via X.
Three Americans and one Canadian will fly around the moon without stopping or even orbiting – then head straight back for a Pacific splashdown.
They will set a new distance record for the farthest humans have travelled from Earth as they zoom some 6,400 kilometres beyond the moon and then hang a U-turn.
Astronauts last flew to the moon during Apollo 17 in 1972.
Artemis II is the opening shot of NASA’s grand plans for a permanent moon base. The space program is aiming for a moon landing near the lunar south pole in 2028.
“The next era of exploration begins,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman posted on X.
Best wishes already have started to pour in, including from King Charles III to Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
Hansen will become the first non-US citizen to launch to the moon. The crew also includes Christina Koch and Victor Glover, the first woman and first Black astronaut, respectively, destined for the moon.
“In this historic moment, you stand as a bridge between nations and generations,” the King wrote in a letter to Hansen, “and I commend you for your courage, discipline and vision that have brought you to this threshold”.
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