NASA began its two-day countdown Monday ahead of what is slated to be its first crewed moonshot in more than half a century, a long-anticipated loop around Earth's satellite that is to pave the way for future exploration.
The first window to launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida opens Wednesday, April 1 at 6:24 pm (2224 GMT), and NASA officials said the countdown began at 4:44 pm.
kAmQ%96 G69:4=6 :D C625J[ E96 DJDE6> :D C625J] %96 4C6H :D C625J[Q p>:E zD92EC:J2[ E96 &$ DA246 286?4JVD 2DD@4:2E6 25>:?:DEC2E@C[ D2:5 :? 2 3C:67:?8]k^Am
kAmQq69:?5 E9:D 7=:89E DE2?5D 2 42>A2:8?[Q 96 4@?E:?F65[ ?@E:?8 C646?E=J 2??@F?465 A=2?D :?4=F5:?8 4@?DECF4E:?8 2 =F?2C 32D6]k^Am
kAmx7 (65?6D52JVD =2F?49 :D 42?46==65 @C 56=2J65 7@C 2?J C62D@?[ E96C6 2C6 >@C6 =:7E@77 @AA@CEF?:E:6D E9C@F89 pAC:= e]k^Am
kAmpD @7 |@?52J 6G6?:?8[ }p$p @77:4:2=D G@:465 4@?7:56?46 E92E 6?8:?66C:?8 @A6C2E:@?D 2?5 7:?2= AC6A2C2E:@?D H6C6 AC@4665:?8 D>@@E9=J]k^Am
kAmQ(6V== 7=J H96? E9:D 92C5H2C6 :D C625J[Q =2F?49 5:C64E@C r92C=:6 q=24<H6==\%9@>AD@? E@=5 ;@FC?2=:DED]k^Am
kAmQqFE 46CE2:?=J 2== :?5:42E:@?D 2C6 C:89E ?@H H6 2C6 :? 6I46==6?E[ 6I46==6?E D92A6]Qk^Am
kAm%96 7@FC 2DEC@?2FED D6E E@ 42CCJ @FE E96 |@@? G@J286 \\ p>6C:42?D #6:5 (:D6>2?[ ':4E@C v=@G6C 2?5 r9C:DE:?2 z@49 2=@?8 H:E9 r2?25:2? 4@==628F6 y6C6>J w2?D6? \\ 2C6 :? BF2C2?E:?6 29625 @7 E96:C ;@FC?6J]k^Am
kAm}p$p @77:4:2=D D2:5 |@?52J 6G6?:?8 E92E E96J H@F=5 92G6 E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ 92G6 5:??6C H:E9 E96:C 72>:=:6D 2E 2 u=@C:52 36249 9@FD6]k^Am
k9am\ r=@F5J H:E9 2 492?46 @7 9:DE@CJ \k^9am
kAm%96 @5JDD6J H:== >2C< 2 D6C:6D @7 7:CDEDi E96 7:CDE E:>6 2 H@>2?[ 2 A6CD@? @7 4@=@C 2?5 2 ?@?\p>6C:42? H:== G6?EFC6 @? 2 |@@? >:DD:@?]k^Am
kAmxE :D 2=D@ E96 :?2F8FC2= 4C6H65 7=:89E @7 }p$pVD ?6H =F?2C C@4<6E[ 5F3365 ${$]k^Am
kAm%96 >2>>@E9 @C2?86\2?5\H9:E6 C@4<6E :D 56D:8?65 E@ 2==@H E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D E@ C6A62E65=J C6EFC? E@ E96 |@@? :? J62CD E@ 4@>6[ H:E9 E96 8@2= @7 6DE23=:D9:?8 2 A6C>2?6?E 32D6 E92E H:== @776C 2 DE6AA:?8 DE@?6 7@C 7FCE96C 6IA=@C2E:@?]k^Am
kAmqFE 86EE:?8 :E @77 E96 8C@F?5 92D ?@E 366? D:>A=6] %96 pCE6>:D a >:DD:@? H2D @C:8:?2==J 5F6 E@ E2<6 @77 2D 62C=J 2D u63CF2CJ 3FE C6A62E65 D6E324<D DE2==65 E92E 8@2= 2?5 6G6? ?646DD:E2E65 C@==:?8 E96 C@4<6E 324< E@ :ED 92?82C 7@C 2?2=JD:D 2?5 C6A2:CD]k^Am
kAmp?5 E96? E96C6 :D E96 H62E96Ci 2D @7 |@?52J[ }p$p C6A@CE65 E92E E96 7@C642DE D9@HD Q2? g_ A6C46?E 492?46 @7 72G@C23=6 H62E96C 4@?5:E:@?D]Qk^Am
kAmQr=@F5 4@G6C286 2?5 A@E6?E:2= 7@C 9:89 H:?5D @? E96 8C@F?5Q H6C6 E96:C AC:>2CJ 4@?46C?D[ E96 286?4J D2:5]k^Am
kAm%62>D 2C6 2=D@ >@?:E@C:?8 D@=2C H62E96C]k^Am
kAmQxV> ;FDE 8@??2 >2<6 2? 2AA62= E@ E96 DA246 8@5D[ @<2JnQ zD92EC:J2 D2:5 E@ =2F89E6C @? |@?52J]k^Am
kAm>5@^;Dk^Am