KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — Excitement is building on Florida’s Space Coast as NASA prepares to send a crew of astronauts to the moon for the first time in over 50 years.
See live updates on the Artemis II mission:
10:20 a.m. update:
NASA crews have finished the “slow fill phase” of fueling the rocket.
Teams are now loading super-cold liquid hydrogen into the rocket’s main tanks.
This “fast fill” move brings the SLS rocket closer to full capacity.
NASA also reported the Artemis II astronauts are awake and the launch team is conducting status checks.
9:30 a.m. update:
The countdown clock for NASA’s Artemis II mission is officially ticking down at the Kennedy Space Center.
The four-person crew has started their final preparations ahead of Wednesday’s planned launch.
The Artemis 2 mission aims to send four astronauts around the moon, a test flight marking the return of humans to deep space.
Here are more details on the Artemis II crew:
Best of the best: Meet the Artemis II astronauts
8:40 a.m. update:
In addition to the live coverage on Channel 9, many around Central Florida will be able to see and hear the launch of Artemis II.
The rocket should be visible in the sky for nearly the entire state of Florida and parts of southeast Georgia, depending on weather conditions.
Just look in the direction of the Kennedy Space Center shortly after the launch time, and you may catch a glimpse of the rocket as it makes its way into space.
The SLS rocket is one of the biggest and loudest rockets ever built.
The launch will be louder than most of the launches experienced from Florida’s Space Coast.
The sound of Artemis II will be clearly audible up to 10 to 20 miles away.
However, even people who are 30 to 40 miles away could still hear a noticeable rumble outdoors.
Some rocket experts have said a faint thunder-like sound may be heard up to 50 miles away, depending on weather conditions and other environmental factors.
7:50 a.m. update:
Crews have started “tanking operations” to load propellant into NASA’s (SLS) Space Launch System rocket.
This marks the first major step in preparing the rocket for launch Wednesday afternoon.
Original report:
NASA is preparing to send four astronauts on a 10-day mission around the moon as the launch window for Artemis II approaches.
The mission has a two-hour launch window that opens on Wednesday at 6:24 p.m., from Launch Complex 39-B at the Kennedy Space Center.
The trajectory of the Artemis II mission will take the crew approximately 4,600 miles beyond the far side of the moon before they return to Earth.
Crowds are already starting to gather on Florida’s Space Coast as teams complete final preparations on the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft.
Operations include performing lockdowns to ensure that every system and engine is ready for the four astronauts to begin their journey.
Once these final steps are complete, all non-essential personnel will move away from the launch pad.
This browser does not support the video element.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman spoke about the intensity of the preparation and the inherent dangers of lunar exploration.
Isaacman noted that the crew will travel at speeds exceeding those of any previous human spaceflight.
“We have to understand the risks that go into missions such as this,” Isaacman said. “We spend a lot of time preparing for them. We have pre-flight readiness reviews, flight readiness reviews. We do lots of testing. We do everything we can to bring risk as close to zero as we possibly can. But at some point, when you’re exploring the worlds beyond ours, there are some risks worth taking.”
Spectators have already begun claiming viewing spots across the Space Coast.
At Jetty Park in Cape Canaveral, visitors have parked RVs and campers to secure a front-row view of the liftoff.
Similar crowds have gathered at Spaceview Park in Titusville to witness the historic launch.
Jerry Stencel is among the observers waiting for the launch.
Stencel, who previously watched the Apollo missions in person, compared the upcoming event to his past experiences at the launch site.
“I was right there at the launch site when they were launching it,” Stencel said. “The Apollo, the ground shook and it’s supposed to be amazing.”
This browser does not support the video element.
The launch has also attracted younger viewers, including students from Indian Trails Middle School in Winter Springs.
Nathan, a student at the school, is attending the event to see the mission enter the history books.
“I’m most excited to like see the light and like feel the shaking of it,” Nathan said. “It’s fun to know that like that’s going to be going around the moon.”
Channel 9 will have live team coverage of the Artemis II mission all day Wednesday and throughout the journey to the moon and back.
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.