Artemis 2: Historic Moon Mission Set for Launch, First Crewed Journey Since 1972

• Artemis 2 is set to launch from Florida as early as April 1, marking the first crewed journey to the Moon since 1972.
• The mission includes Americans Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Jeremy Hansen, making it the first lunar mission with a person of color, a woman, and a non-American.
• The 10-day mission will orbit the Moon without landing, similar to Apollo 8 in 1968, and is the inaugural crewed flight of NASA's new SLS lunar rocket.
• The mission aims to verify the rocket and spacecraft for a potential Moon landing in 2028 and establish a permanent lunar base for further exploration, including Mars.
• Despite previous delays and cost overruns, NASA officials confirm the vehicle, system, and crew are ready, with promising weather forecasts for the launch.