Watch live coverage of the Artemis II launch on CTVNews.ca, the CTV News App and CTV News Channel at 6:24 p.m. ET on Wednesday, April 1. You can also subscribe and watch on the CTV News YouTube Channel. MERRITT ISLAND, Fla. - A large digital clock on the grounds of the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. is counting down every second as NASA prepares to send humans back to the moon for the first time in more than 50 years. Officials say there is an 80 per cent chance for favourable weather Wednesday, though winds and rain are in the forecast for the evening. The mission management team conducted a review on Monday and “the team polled ‘go’ to proceed towards the planned April 1, launch attempt,” said Amit Kshatriya, NASA’s Associate Administrator. “We also reviewed the most recent engineering assessments (and) the team concluded that everything continues to look good, and there are no issues preventing us from pressing ahead,” he said. Artemis II marks the first time in more than 50 years that NASA will send a crewed mission back to the moon. The first launch window opens at 6:24 pm EST on Wednesday, and if all goes according to plan, the four person crew will embark on its 10-day mission that will see them slingshot around the moon before heading back to Earth for a Pacific Ocean splashdown on April 10. With countdown underway, engineers are conducting a range of tests including powering up flight hardware, checking communication links and preparing the rocket’s cryogenic systems for the fueling sequence required to load super-cooled liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen onto the spacecraft. Crews will also begin filling the sound suppression system’s tank with water, which will “unleash a protective deluge” at liftoff to shield the vehicle from the sound of its own engines, according to NASA. The crew headed to the moon includes NASA Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen. According to NASA, the crew has been staying in astronaut crew quarters and remain in quarantine under strict health monitoring, which includes a controlled sleep schedule and nutrition plan. Hansen is set to make history as the first Canadian and first non-American to travel to deep space, a seat secured in part by Canada’s commitment to the Artemis program and the Canadarm3 robotic arm. NASA had intended to use the Canadarm3 to help build the Lunar Gateway, a space station orbiting the moon. While that program is on pause, the Canadian Space Agency said in a statement “Canada continues discussions with NASA on this change and approach and will pursue collaboration with Canadian industry and international partners to determine the next steps.”
