The Countdown Begins: NASA holds pre-launch news conference ahead of historic Artemis II mission

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (KIFI) — The countdown has officially begun at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida as the agency prepares for the historic Artemis II test flight. NASA is currently targeting a two-hour launch window opening at 6:24 p.m. ET (4:24 p.m. MT) on Wednesday, April 1.

Tuesday, March 31, NASA will hold a pre-launch news conference as the agency prepares for the farthest crewed flight in decades.

NASA is expected to hold a news conference at 1 p.m. EDT (11 am MST). Watch live below:

This mission represents "one small step" in modern exploration, marking the first manned mission aboard the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft. It serves as a definitive "giant leap" in mankind's mission to return to the moon for the first time in five decades.

The 10-day mission is designed to test the spacecraft’s life-support systems in the harsh environment of deep space. The flight path will swing behind the far side of the moon, carrying the crew farther into space than any human being has ever traveled. NASA's goal: To establish a long-term presence on the moon.

The eyes of Idaho and the Nation are on the Kennedy Space Center's Pad 39B. Local News 8 will be streaming the live countdown starting tomorrow, as crews begin tanking operations at 7:45 a.m., April 1.