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Florida prepares for Artemis II liftoff
An estimated 400,000 spectators are expected to gather along Florida's Space Coast on Wednesday as NASA attempts to send four astronauts around the Moon-the first crewed lunar mission in over five decades.
Economic surge ahead of launch
Local businesses and officials anticipate a $160 million boost from the influx of visitors. Hotels, bars, and souvenir shops are bracing for record crowds, with some establishments advertising launch-themed promotions like "moonshots" and warning of heavy traffic.
Brenda Mulberry, owner of Space Shirts on Merritt Island, has stocked extra inventory for what she calls the biggest customer surge in her 40-year career. "People are beyond excited," she said. "We've wanted to go back to the Moon since the '70s."
"I want to have the first T-shirt shop on the Moon. Because if you've been there, you get the T-shirt, right?"
Brenda Mulberry, Space Shirts owner
Mission objectives and crew
The 10-day Artemis II flight will test NASA's Space Launch System (SLS)-the agency's tallest and heaviest rocket-along with the Orion capsule, which will carry Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen. Hansen, a Canadian astronaut, will make his first spaceflight.
While the mission won't land on the Moon, the crew may glimpse unseen lunar landscapes and could break Apollo 13's record for the farthest human travel from Earth, reaching up to 250,000 miles away.
Flight plan and risks
After liftoff between 18:24 and 20:24 local time (23:24-01:24 BST), Orion will spend its first day in high Earth orbit before executing a trans-lunar injection burn. On Day 6, the capsule will lose radio contact for 40 minutes as it loops behind the Moon's far side.
The most perilous phase comes on re-entry, when Orion will plunge into Earth's atmosphere at 25,000 mph. Engineers have adjusted the two-stage "skip" maneuver to reduce heat shield damage observed during Artemis I's uncrewed test, but this will be the first crewed trial of the revised descent.
Broader ambitions
Artemis II sets the stage for future missions aimed at establishing a permanent lunar base and eventual Mars expeditions. Wiseman hopes the program will inspire a new generation to look at the Moon "knowing we are there now."
The launch will take place from Pad 39B-the same site used for the Apollo 11 Moon landing in 1969. If successful, the next Artemis gathering at the Space Coast could mark humanity's return to the lunar surface.
