NASA starts countdown for first crewed Moon mission in over 50 years:

NASA began its two-day countdown Monday ahead of what is slated to be its first crewed moonshot in more than half a century, a long-anticipated loop around Earth’s satellite that is to pave the way for future exploration.

The first window to launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida opens Wednesday, April 1 at 6:24 pm (2224 GMT), and NASA officials said the countdown began at 4:44 pm. “Behind this flight stands a campaign,” noting recently announced plans including constructing a lunar base.

If Wednesday’s launch is cancelled or delayed for any reason, there are more liftoff opportunities through April 6.

The four astronauts set to carry out the Moon voyage — Americans Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch along with Canadian colleague Jeremy Hansen — are in quarantine ahead of their journey.

The 32-story Space Launch System rocket is poised to blast off Wednesday evening with four astronauts. After a day in orbit around Earth, their Orion capsule will propel them to the moon and back. There are no stops — just a quick U-turn around the moon. The nearly 10-day flight will end with a splashdown in the Pacific. 

The odyssey will mark a series of firsts: the first time a woman, a person of colour and a non-American will venture on a Moon mission. Unlike Apollo, which sent only men to the moon from 1968 through 1972, Artemis’ debut crew includes a woman, person of color and a non-U.S. citizen.

NASA’s Artemis II mission should have soared in February but was grounded by hydrogen fuel leaks. The leaks were fixed, but then a helium pressurization line became clogged, forcing a return to the hangar late last month for analysis and repairs. The rocket returned to the pad 1 1/2 weeks ago, and its U.S.-Canadian crew arrived at the launch site on Friday.

The mammoth orange-and-white rocket is designed to allow the United States to repeatedly return to the Moon in years to come, with the goal of establishing a permanent base that will offer a stepping stone for further exploration.

And then there is the weather: as of Monday, NASA reported that the forecast shows “an 80 percent chance of favorable weather conditions.” “Cloud coverage and potential for high winds on the ground” were their primary concerns, the agency said. Teams are also monitoring solar weather.