CAPE CANAVERAL, United States: NASA has initiated a two-day countdown ahead of its first crewed mission to the Moon in more than 50 years, marking a major step towards future lunar exploration.
The launch window is set to open on Wednesday, April 1 at 6:24 pm (2224 GMT) from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, with the countdown officially starting at 4:44 pm on Monday. Officials expressed strong confidence in the mission’s readiness.
“The vehicle is ready, the system is ready. The crew is ready,” said Amit Kshatriya, NASA’s associate administrator, during a briefing.
He added that the mission is part of a broader long-term strategy, stating, “Behind this flight stands a campaign,” referencing plans such as establishing a lunar base.
Additional opportunities
If the initial launch attempt is delayed or scrubbed, additional opportunities are available through April 6. As of Monday evening, preparations and technical checks were progressing without issues.
“We’ll fly when this hardware is ready,” said launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson. “But certainly all indications are right now we are in excellent, excellent shape.”
The four-member crew—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canada’s Jeremy Hansen—are currently in quarantine ahead of the mission, though they were expected to spend time with family before liftoff.
The mission represents several milestones, including the first time a woman, a person of colour and a non-American will travel on a lunar mission. It will also be the first crewed flight of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.
Despite earlier delays and technical challenges, NASA remains optimistic. Weather conditions are largely favourable, though “Cloud coverage and potential for high winds on the ground” remain concerns. Kshatriya added humorously, “I’m just gonna make an appeal to the space gods, okay?”
