Artemis Two: First Crewed Moon Mission in 50 Years

0:00It's March 31st. Welcome to Canada News Today, powered by AI. NASA's Artemis II mission is gearing up as the first crew trip to the moon since 1972. Four astronauts will blast off on the massive space launch system rocket with the Orion capsule, flying around the moon and looping thousands of miles. Passed it before heading straight home in under 10 days. No landing, no moonwalk, just a high speed out and back to test the gear for future stays. This crew is stacked with trailblazers, Commander Reed Wiseman, a Navy vet who has led astronauts before, Victor Glover, the first black astronaut on. The space station, Christina Koch, holding the record for the longest single flight by a woman at 328 days, and Jeremy Hansen. From Canada, the space newbie, but a sharp fighter pilot, ages 47 to 50, they're diverse and ready to make history. The rocket's shorter than the old Saturn, five at 322 feet, but packs more punch at liftoff using salvage shuttle engines and liquid hydrogen fuel.

1:04It's had hydrogen leaks before, delaying things from last year into this April window after fueling tests in February. Once up, the orbit Earth for 25 hours, practicing docking by eye on the rocket's upper stage, staying at least 33 feet away. Then Orion's engine fires them 244,000 miles to the moon on a fuel saving free return path. Day 6, those zip 5,000 miles beyond the far side. Farther than Apollo 13, snapping pics of untouched spots with cameras and smartphones. That far side flyby could reveal fresh details since only China has landed there, all under the watch of lunar expert Kelsey Young from Houston. They'll plunge back with a Pacific splash down off San Diego, eyes on the heat shield that got roughed up in tests. This sets the stage for boot prints next time, pulling the moon closer for all of us.