Watch NASA's Artemis II Become the First Human Trip to the Moon in 50 Years

With just under five hours to go until launch, the crew is in the suit-up room right now. Over on NASA's livestream on YouTube, you can watch Reid Wiseman (the commander), Victor Glover (the pilot), Christina Koch (mission specialist) and Jeremy Hansen (mission specialist) getting fitted out with their equipment. The four astronauts are wearing bright orange space suits as other NASA workers attach equipment and technology to their suits.

The weather is favorable, though one display unit onboard the spacecraft is running cooler than usual. NASA cites an 80% chance of launch today. The space agency is predicting launch towards the start of its 2-hour window, which again starts at 6:24 p.m. ET / 3:24 p.m. PT.

The flight path of Artemis II shows a quick jaunt around the moon before heading home. Artemis I took a similar flight path. 

NASA

While the Artemis II mission isn't planning on having astronauts land on the moon's surface, it's important for many reasons.

Like Apollo 8, which laid the foundation for Neil Armstrong and the other Apollo 11 astronauts to be the first men to walk on the moon, Artemis II is integral to future NASA missions. Artemis II is the first crewed mission of the series, which will put the Space Launch System rocket and its life support systems to the test. There are two more Artemis missions planned and funded through 2028, with Artemis IV slated to put humans on the moon.

Artemis II's crew is also planning to go farther into deep space than any previous mission. At the peak of its orbit, the rocket will be over 4,700 miles from the far side of the moon. With NASA and other space organizations dedicated to exploring deeper space and Mars, we need to build and test technology and equipment that can support longer missions.

I'm going to say upfront that I am not an expert in aerospace engineering. If you are, you might enjoy reading NASA's official reference guide for the Artemis II rocket. Here are some quick highlights.

• Artemis II's rocket consists of a Space Launch System (SLS, the actual rocket) and Orion spacecraft (the payload on top of the rocket, which is what the astronauts will return in).
• The SLS is the most powerful rocket NASA has ever built, producing 8.8 million pounds of thrust. It has two rocket boosters and is 98 meters (about 322 feet) tall. That's just a bit taller than the Statue of Liberty.
• The Orion spacecraft is wider and roomier than the spacecraft used in the Apollo missions. Luckily for the astronauts, it also has a new and improved toilet.
• Compared with the Saturn V rocket, the SLS is shorter but has more efficient engines that pack a bigger punch. But the SLS maxes out at 27 metric tons, while the Saturn V could support heavier payloads. You can check out our full comparison of Artemis versus Saturn V for more info.

NASA/Sam Lott

I grew up watching the Apollo moon missions. It was absolutely thrilling -- every liftoff, every step on the lunar surface, every splashdown on the safe return to Earth. Then, suddenly, it was over, and more than 50 years have passed since humans made that epic journey so far from home. Now, the Artemis program has arrived to bring back that sense of awe. Space travel has never been exactly humdrum, but after so many successful space shuttle, Soyuz and SpaceX flights into orbit and long-term residencies at the International Space Station, it has gotten routine. 

Artemis II is here to shake things up.

Which got me thinking about where this is taking us. The Apollo program was the culmination of the first wave of space exploration, an epoch of heroic achievement by scientists, engineers and astronauts alike. The Artemis missions mark the start of a whole new era of space exploitation. It won't be long now before we are tapping into the moon's natural resources, before space mining becomes a career option. Elon Musk, rather than Neil Armstrong, could soon be the face of our lunar endeavors. I hope the sense of wonder and adventure stays with us.

The Artemis II crew in front of the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft, en route on the mobile launcher from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

NASA/Joel Kowsky

The Artemis II crew (from left): Backup crew members Andre Douglas and Jenni Gibbons, then prime crew members pilot Victor Glover, commander Reid Wiseman and mission specialists Jeremy Hansen and Christina Koch. Hansen is the sole Canadian among the American crew and will be the first of his countrymen to travel to the moon.