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Nasa's Artemis II mission stands poised for launch tomorrow from Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, with agency officials declaring the spacecraft, rocket and crew fully prepared for humanity's return to orbit. The 10-day test flight will carry four astronauts on an epic 685,000-mile voyage around the Moon, marking the first crewed mission to Earth's celestial neighbour in more than half a century. Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Nasa associate administrator Amit Kshatriya confirmed: "The vehicle is ready. The system is ready. The crew is ready." The countdown clock began ticking at 4.44pm local time, targeting a Wednesday evening lift-off. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say Chief flight director Emily Nelson emphasised that mission control teams and crew members have dedicated two years to preparing for this historic endeavour. The towering Space Launch System rocket, standing 322 feet tall and comparable in height to Parliament's Elizabeth Tower, will propel the Orion spacecraft on its mammoth journey from Launch Pad 39B. During the flyby, the capsule will venture approximately 4,700 miles beyond the Moon's far side, establishing a new record for human spaceflight distance. Engineers have spent recent days powering up flight systems, verifying communication links and preparing the cryogenic apparatus needed to load vast quantities of super-cooled liquid hydrogen and oxygen propellant. The mission was delayed by two months following hydrogen fuel leaks and blocked helium lines discovered during earlier preparations. Upon completing its circumlunar trajectory, the crew will return to Earth with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. The four astronauts aboard comprise Nasa's Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, alongside Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency. The crew remains in quarantine within the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building, undergoing strict health monitoring and medical assessments to confirm their fitness for launch. LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: Nasa astronaut finally reveals medical crisis that triggered emergency evacuation of ISS How humans could protect Earth from dangerous asteroids using HUGE magnet Historians uncover first direct evidence of female gladiators in Roman arena They have maintained a carefully controlled sleep schedule and nutrition regimen while receiving regular briefings on rocket status and meteorological conditions. Weather officers from the US Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45 report an 80 per cent probability of favourable conditions for Wednesday's launch window. Cloud coverage and potential high winds in the Cape Canaveral area remain the primary meteorological concerns, with teams continuing to monitor forecasts closely. Nasa has until April 6 to achieve liftoff before standing down until the end of the month. Britain is playing a notable role in this historic endeavour, with the Goonhilly Earth Station near Helston in Cornwall helping to track the capsule throughout its celestial voyage. British astronaut Major Tim Peake highlighted Europe's substantial contribution to the Artemis programme: "We built the European service module, which powers the Orion spacecraft that provides all the electrical power, the life support systems, the propellant." The last occasion astronauts travelled to the Moon was during Apollo 17 in December 1972, making this mission a watershed moment after 53 years of absence from lunar exploration. While the crew will not set foot on the lunar surface, Artemis II establishes the foundation for a planned two-person Moon landing in 2028. The broader Artemis programme ultimately aims to construct a permanent base camp on the Moon, potentially serving as a stepping stone for human missions to Mars. Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter
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