Artemis II Launch Live Updates as NASA Moon Mission Counts Down to Historic Flight

TL;DR

Artemis II mission aims to send four astronauts around the moon and back.
The mission is a test flight to prepare for future lunar landings, with the first planned for 2028.
The crew will set a record for the farthest distance traveled from Earth: 252,000 miles.
Launch window opens at 6:24 p.m. EDT at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida.
Fueling of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with cryogenic propellants is underway.
Over 500 launch commit criteria must be met for the launch to proceed.
Spectators are gathered at Space View Park in Titusville, Florida, to witness the launch.
The Artemis II crew consists of commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen.
The mission will not land on the moon but will loop behind it, offering a view of the far side.
Weather forecasts predict an 80% chance of favorable conditions, with specific criteria regarding temperature, wind, and lightning.
The mission's trajectory is a 'free return' path, using lunar gravity to return the spacecraft to Earth for splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on April 10.

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