NASA is finally back on track with its plans to return to the moon, as the Artemis I mission will take off on Wednesday morning from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
The debut flight for NASA’s Space Launch System rocket, is scheduled to take off from Florida at 1:04 a.m. EST on Wednesday.
The rocket launch comes after months of delays and now marks a crucial step for the space agency’s plan to return astronauts to the moon.
Those who want to watch the historic launch can do so on NASA TV, starting at 10:30 p.m. EST Tuesday.
The mission was supposed to take off in late August, but several hazardous leaks were detected while fueling the rocket, postponing its takeoff. In September, NASA again tried to launch the mission, but was unsuccessful after a hydrogen leak was discovered.
Artemis I was delayed for what looks like the final time last week when Hurricane Nicole slammed into the state's eastern coast. Thankfully damage to the rocket, which remained on the launch pad, was minimal.
In an update on Friday, NASA officials shared that the rocket was ready to go after it was confirmed the “sustained and peak winds experienced during the storm have no adverse effect on the structural strength of the rocket.”
The flight is said to cost $4.1 billion, and is only the first of several missions planned to safely return astronauts to the moon. This will also be the first flight of the 322-foot Space Launch System, said to be the “most powerful rocket in the world.”
Artemis I will test the boosters and the Orion capsule before they are used to put humans back on the moon, which NASA could do as soon as 2025. It has taken over a decade for NASA to develop the rocket. The agency has shared it stands well above those used during the Apollo program.
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