Artemis II: NASA eyes April 2 to launch first crewed Moon mission in 53 years

Artemis II astronauts are tasked with testing the Orion spacecraft's life support systems and conduct experiments in deep space.

NASA is moving seamlessly toward the launch of Artemis II mission which is slated for April 2. The agency rolled out its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket to the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center on March 20 and is now preparing for the final stages of pre-launch activities. This includes the 'wet dress rehearsal' - a test of fuelling operations and countdown procedures.

According to NASA's calendar, April provides seven opportunities to launch Artemis II - the first crewed Moon mission since December 1972.

Each day has a 120-minute launch window opening at different times, with the first being on April 2 (3:54 am IST) [April 1, 6:24 am EDT].

Other potential dates are April 3, 4, 5, 6 and 30, although dates may vary depending on the time zones.

Artemis II includes four astronauts - Reid Wiseman (NASA), Victor Glover (NASA), Christina Koch (NASA) and Jeremy Hansen (Canadian Space Agency) - who are tasked with testing the Orion spacecraft's life support systems and conduct experiments in deep space on their lunar mission.

The four fliers will return in approximately 10 days without landing on the Moon.

The lunar crew is preparing to enter the 14-day mandatory quarantine period which will last until launch day. Meanwhile, NASA teams will conduct the 'wet dress rehearsal' and ensure all systems of the SLS rocket and the Orion spacecraft are up and running.