Artemis Two: First Crewed Moon Mission in 50 Years

0:00On March 30, NASA's gearing up for Artemis II, the first crude moon mission in over 50 years, pushing humans deeper into space than ever. Before. Four astronauts. Three Americans in one Canadian set to launch Wednesday from Cape Canaveral in Florida on a 32-foot rocket if the weather cooperates. This 10-day test flight loops them around the moon on a 685,000-mile trek, swinging 4,700 miles past. It's far side to smash distance records. No landing this time, but it clears the path for boots on lunar soil within a couple years. NASA bosses are pumped at Kennedy Space Center, saying the vehicle, systems, and crew are locked and loaded after two years of intense training. Countdown kicked off Monday at 4.44pm local time, with everyone calling it excellent shape. Earlier delays hit from hydrogen leaks and helium issues, pushing launch back two months, but now it's full steam ahead. The last moon trip was Apollo.

1:0117 back in 1972. UK's pitching in, too, with the Goon Hillie station and Cornwall trekking the ride as Artemis eyes a two-person landing by 2028, and reignites that spacefire for the world.