The countdown is underway for NASA’s Artemis II, set to launch on April 1, at 6:24 p.m. EDT from Kennedy Space Center. The mission will send four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the Moon, marking the first time humans travel beyond low Earth orbit in more than 50 years.

For viewers in the Philippines, liftoff is scheduled at 6:24 a.m. on April 2.

Artemis II is the first crewed mission of NASA’s Artemis program and the first since Apollo 17. While it will not land on the lunar surface, the flight is designed as a critical test of deep space systems that will carry future missions farther, including to Mars.

Using a free-return trajectory, the Orion spacecraft will loop around the Moon and naturally return to Earth, reaching roughly 248,000 miles from home. The mission will validate key systems such as life support, navigation, communication, and radiation protection—technologies essential for long-duration space travel.

Onboard are commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen, marking the first time a woman, a person of color, and a non-American will travel to the Moon.

Beyond the historic milestones, Artemis II will also study how the human body responds to deep space conditions. Astronauts will be monitored for radiation exposure, sleep, and stress levels, helping scientists prepare for missions where crews will spend months away from Earth with no immediate return.

The mission ultimately positions the Moon as a testing ground. By proving that humans and spacecraft can operate safely in deep space, Artemis II lays the foundation for longer missions, with Mars as the long-term goal.

As of April 1, final checks are complete, the crew remains in quarantine, and weather conditions are largely favorable for launch.

PHOTO: NASA (via YouTube)