Astronauts (front row, L-R) Pilot Victor Glover and Commander Reid Wiseman, (second row, L-R) Mission Specialists Jeremy Hansen and Christina Koch leave the Operations and Checkout Building for a trip to Launch Pad 39-B and a planned liftoff on NASA's Artermis II moon rocket at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on April 1, 2026. CHRIS O'MEARA / AP
Four astronauts strapped into their seats on Wednesday, April 1, as crews made final preparations for a historic lunar odyssey that will see NASA send people around the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years. The mission, dubbed Artemis II, has been years in the making and faced repeated setbacks and massive cost overruns, but is finally scheduled to take off from Florida as early as 6:24 pm (2224 GMT).
The weather was expected to be favorable, with an 80% chance of conditions suitable for launch. The team, clad in bright orange suits with blue trim, includes Americans Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch along with Canadian Jeremy Hansen.
Their approximately 10-day mission will see them hurtle around Earth's natural satellite without landing, much like Apollo 8 did in 1968. The journey marks a series of historic accomplishments: It will send the first person of color, the first woman and the first non-American on a lunar mission.
