Washington, April 1 (NationPress) NASA is on the verge of launching four astronauts for a historic mission orbiting the moon on Wednesday evening, marking the first human expedition beyond low Earth orbit in over 50 years.

The Artemis II mission is set to kick off with a launch window that opens at 6:24 p.m. ET from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, sending the crew on an approximately 10-day journey around the moon and back.

This mission is being heralded as one of NASA’s most vital missions in decades and a pivotal step in the quest to return humans to deep space.

The crew consists of NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, alongside Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency.

Earlier today, fueling operations commenced for the 32-story Space Launch System rocket, requiring over 700,000 gallons of propellant ahead of liftoff.

Preparations encountered tense moments earlier due to hydrogen leaks that delayed testing.

If successful, Artemis II will be the first time astronauts travel toward the moon since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.

Although the mission will not involve a lunar landing, the Orion spacecraft will carry the crew around the far side of the moon before returning to Earth, testing life-support, navigation, and other systems in deep space.

After launch, Orion will detach from the rocket’s upper stage and perform a “translunar injection” burn, setting it on a trajectory toward the moon. The spacecraft will journey for several days, orbit the lunar far side, and then initiate its return trip.

Re-entry is anticipated to be one of the most challenging phases, with Orion expected to enter Earth’s atmosphere at speeds of approximately 25,000 miles per hour, encountering temperatures near 5,000 degrees before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.

Throughout this mission, astronauts will assess spacecraft performance, rehearse emergency protocols, and capture images of the moon's far side.

This crew also signifies several historic milestones, including the first woman, the first African-American astronaut, and the first Canadian to embark on a journey toward the moon.

Artemis II is being positioned as the inaugural step in NASA’s expansive plan to establish a sustained human presence on the moon and ultimately send astronauts to Mars.

This Artemis program builds upon the Apollo missions, which saw 24 astronauts travel to the moon between 1968 and 1972, with 12 of them walking on its surface.

NASA aims to leverage that legacy by developing a long-term lunar base and executing future missions targeting the moon’s south pole later this decade, before advancing toward Mars.