By Josh Valcarcel - flickr.com, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=130335077
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — A Canadian astronaut is set to make history as NASA prepares to launch its first crewed mission around the moon in more than 50 years.
Jeremy Hansen, a member of the Canadian Space Agency, will become the first Canadian to travel beyond low Earth orbit as part of the Artemis II mission, scheduled to launch as early as April 1 from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
NASA is targeting liftoff at 4:24 p.m. Fort McMurray time on April 1, with a two-hour launch window extending to 6:24 p.m. If conditions are not suitable, backup launch opportunities are available daily through April 6, with progressively later windows each evening.
The roughly 10-day mission will send four astronauts on a looping trajectory around the far side of the moon before returning to Earth. The Orion spacecraft is expected to travel more than 400,000 kilometres from Earth, marking the furthest distance humans have travelled into space.
Following liftoff, the spacecraft will spend about 90 minutes in Earth orbit before performing a burn toward the moon. The journey will take about four days outbound, loop behind the moon around Day 6, then return to Earth for a Pacific Ocean splashdown several days later.
NASA says the mission is a critical test for future lunar exploration and eventual missions to Mars. “We are here to make sure that they get home safely,” one mission support leader said of the extensive preparation surrounding the flight.
Canadians will be able to watch the launch live through multiple platforms. NASA will stream the mission on its website, NASA+, YouTube and its mobile app, while the Canadian Space Agency will also offer livestreams in English and French and organize watch events across the country.
The Artemis II mission is the first crewed lunar mission since 1972 and is expected to pave the way for future landings, with NASA aiming to return astronauts to the moon later this decade.
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