NASA clears its Artemis 2 moon rocket for April launch with four astronauts

NASA's Artemis 2 mission, crewed by four astronauts, is set for an April launch, marking humanity's first lunar flyby in over 50 years.

NASA said on Thursday that the long-delayed launch of Artemis 2, the first crewed flyby mission to the Moon in more than 50 years, could come as soon as April 1.

"We are on track for a launch as early as April 1, and we are working toward that date," Lori Glaze, a senior NASA official, told a press conference, after technical difficulties delayed a launch originally expected in February.

"It's a test flight, and it is not without risk, but our team and our hardware are ready," she said. "Just keep in mind we still have work" to do.

The U.S. space agency announced in February a sudden revamp of the Artemis program, including the addition of a test mission before an eventual lunar landing.

The first launch window would be Wednesday, April 1, at 6:24 pm (2224 GMT), with several others available in the following days. "We would anticipate on the order of about four opportunities within that six-day period," Ms. Glaze said.

The Artemis 2 mission is meant to be the first flyby of the Moon in more than half a century.