“Hey, let’s go to the moon!”

Astronaut Reid Wiseman’s comment reflects the excitement of all of NASA as the space agency and nation prepare for the historic Artemis II launch.

Artemis II Crew Logo

“I think the nation and the world has been waiting a long time to do this again,” Wiseman said last Friday after he and his crewmates arrived at the Kennedy Space Center.

And, among those who have been “waiting a long time” are the thousands of Huntsvillians who have worked for and are still working for the space program, including the Artemis II project.

To help celebrate Wednesday’s launch, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center is hosting a watch party and the community is invited.

The free party is at the Saturn V Hall inside the Davidson Center for Space Exploration. The Rocket Center will broadcast NASA’s live feed and doors open at 4:30 p.m., the Artemis II launch window opens around 5:25 p.m.

This mission also has a special meaning to the Rocket Center in general and Space Camp in particular: Astronaut Christine Hoch is a five-time graduate of Space Camp.

“We are certainly cheering on this crew,” said Pat Ammons, the Rocket Center’s senior director of public and media relations. “We definitely have our hearts with Christina and everything that she means and represents about what you can do and what you can achieve after you’ve come to Space Camp.”

The Rocket Center is also offering discount admission prices Wednesday: $15 for adults and $12 for children.

Members of the Marshall Space Flight Center team will be on hand to provide commentary on the Artemis II mission and answer questions. There will also be activities for children.

At the Kennedy Space Center, teams are making final preparations toward launch countdown activities. The two-hour window opens at 5:24 p.m. CDT, with additional launch opportunities through next Monday, NASA said.

The weather forecast for launch day shows an 80% chance of favorable weather conditions with primary concerns being cloud coverage and the potential for high winds in the area.

Artemis II will mark NASA’s first crewed mission aboard the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft.

Wiseman and Koch will be joined by NASA astronaut Victor Glover and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen in spending a 10-day test flight.

The mission will provide critical performance data and operational experience for future Artemis missions, including landing American astronauts back on the moon for the first time in more than 50 years.

“This is a test mission,” Wiseman said. “When we get off the planet, we might come right back home. We might spend three or four days around Earth. We might go to the moon.

“That’s where we want to go, but it is a test mission, and we are ready for every scenario as we ride this amazing Space Launch System in the Orion spacecraft, 250,000 miles away. It’s going to be amazing.”

Updates during the launch countdown and throughout the mission will be posted on the Artemis blog. To track Orion in space, visit nasa.gov/trackartemis.