“Humanity’s next great voyage begins”: NASA’s Artemis II Launches to the Moon

UPDATE:

FLORIDA (KIF) — "We have liftoff!" Artemis II's boosters have successfully ignited, and the rocket is in the air. NASA broadcaster Derrol Nail says, "The crew of Artemis II, now bound for the moon, humanity’s next great voyage begins."

Local News 8 stream of the live countdown to launch has now ended.

FLORIDA (KIF) — 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.

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.