The four Artemis II mission astronauts have have entered the Orion capsule and are in place for humanity’s first trip to the moon in more than half a century, aiming for an evening liftoff.
NASA’s launch team had loaded more than 700,000 gallons of fuel into the 32-story Space Launch System rocket early Wednesday, setting the stage for blast off in the evening, with a two-hour launch window beginning at 6:24 p.m. EDT at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Artemis astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen will be on board. They’ll hurtle several thousand miles beyond the moon, hang a U-turn and then come straight back. No circling around the moon, no stopping for a moonwalk — just a quick out-and-back lasting less than 10 days. NASA promises more boot prints in the gray lunar dust, but not before a couple practice missions.
Unlike the Apollo missions that sent astronauts to the moon from 1968 through 1972, Artemis’ debut crew includes a woman, a person of color and a Canadian citizen.
Artemis II is the opening shot of NASA’s grand plans for a permanent moon base. The space program is aiming for a moon landing near the lunar south pole in 2028.
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The Apollo generation, in their own words
Charlie Mars, 90, who worked on Apollo’s command and lunar modules: “Because it was the first time, there was an energy. There was a passion that probably is not exactly the same today and hasn’t been for a while.”
JoAnn Morgan, 85, who was the lone female engineer inside launch control during the Apollo 11 landing:
“It will be even greater when they actually have a woman who plants her boots on the moon.”
Charlie Duke, 90, Apollo 16 moonwalker: “If the first ones are successful and we start landing at the south pole, I think millions are going to be watching that. I know I will if I’m still here.”
How space toilets work
Everyone needs to go — even in space.
There were no bathrooms on the Apollo missions. Astronauts urinated into bags and diapers.
A primitive potty was aboard the U.S. space station, Skylab, in the 1970s. The International Space Station now features three bathrooms as the orbiting complex expanded.
The Orion capsule is equipped with a compact lunar loo that was tested on the space station several years ago.
Known as the universal waste management system, the titanium toilet uses air suction instead of water and gravity to remove waste, similar to earlier space commodes. It’s also designed to better accommodate female astronauts.
The system collects urine and solid waste separately — No. 1 is vented into space and No. 2 is stowed for the return trip.
8-year-old designer of ‘Rise’ toy on hand
Lucas Ye’s design for a zero gravity indicator was picked from more than 2,600 submissions to fly to the moon. It also won him a trip to watch the Artemis II launch from Kennedy Space Center.
The 8-year-old from California designed a plush toy called “Rise,” inspired by the iconic ″Earthrise’’ photo taken during Apollo 8.
Interviewed by NASA, he said he was, “Really, really, really, really, really, really, really surprised and very happy” to win and be here.
How Artemis II astronauts will stay fit in microgravity
To prevent bone and muscle loss in space, astronauts will keep in shape using a device that acts like a yo-yo.
They can do exercises such as rowing, squats and deadlifts.
Each astronaut will spend about a half hour a day exercising on the device, developed by the Canadian Space Agency.
Astronauts are in the capsule
The four Artemis astronauts have entered the Orion capsule and are in place for humanity’s first trip to the moon in 53 years.
After they arrived at the launch pad, they rode an elevator up to the capsule and signed their names to the so-called white room, where they stage for boarding.
They donned their helmets, made some final adjustments to the suits, and climbed into the capsule. If they take off as planned, they will remain in the capsule — with about as much room as a small camper van — for the next 10 days.
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