NASA prepares Artemis 2 mission as astronauts set for lunar slingshot

NASA is aiming to launch its Artemis 2 mission on Wednesday (1 April), sending astronauts on a 10-day journey around the Moon, officials confirmed. According to the Space Administration, the launch window is due to open at 23:24 GMT, with additional opportunities to 6 April if delays occur.

The mission, the first crewed flight of NASA’s Artemis programme, will carry astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen aboard the Orion spacecraft.

Artemis 2 will not enter lunar orbit but will slingshot around the far side of the Moon in a figure-eight trajectory before returning to Earth.

NASA reports no technical issues as preparations continue. “All of our operations have been going very smoothly,” said Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator for NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate.

“Flight systems, ground systems, and our teams are ready. The crew arrived yesterday and are more than ready,” Glaze added.

The main factor that could delay the launch remains weather, with a 20% chance of cumulus clouds affecting liftoff on Wednesday.

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Artemis 2 follows the success of Artemis 1, an uncrewed mission that orbited the Moon for nearly a month in November 2022. It will pave the way for Artemis 3, which will test rendezvous and docking operations with lunar landers, eventually leading to Artemis 4 - NASA’s first crewed lunar landing since the Apollo era.

“We are getting very, very close - and we are ready,” Glaze stated.

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