KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. – The Artemis II mission is set to launch from Florida’s coast on Wednesday evening, and experts say it will be the furthest a crewed mission has ever gone into space before.
[BELOW: Watch the Artemis II mission launch again]
The Orion space capsule will launch from the Kennedy Space Center, and it’s slated to fly two orbits around Earth before heading to the moon in a figure-eight pattern. It’s then set to return to Earth.
According to NASA, this mission marks the first time in over 50 years that astronauts have been sent to explore the moon, with crew members expected to fly by the lunar far side at around 3,000-9,000 miles above the surface.
[BELOW: NASA shows comparison between Artemis II and previous Apollo missions]
While this isn’t the first moon mission, NASA officials say that this one will put the astronauts at a much higher altitude compared to the previous Apollo missions.
More specifically, the Artemis II mission will be passing by between 4,000-6,000 miles from the surface, while previous Apollo missions were relegated to roughly 70 miles.
Meanwhile, you can watch the launch when it happens by clicking here.
[BELOW: Here’s what to know about the Artemis II mission]