KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — A senior NASA leader says there is one long-standing tradition he doesn’t want to continue for the launch of Artemis II on Wednesday.
A NASA test director has requested that the Artemis 2 launch team and astronauts refrain from a long-running tradition of pranks before the mission, which is scheduled for April Fools’ Day.
The directive aims to maintain strict focus on launch operations at the Kennedy Space Center.
Pre-launch pranks between flight crews and ground personnel have been a tradition at the facility since the Apollo program in the 1960s.
The directive specifies that there should be no pranks on Wednesday to ensure the mission proceeds without distractions.
The Artemis II mission is a major milestone for the agency’s efforts to return humans to the moon.
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