CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Editor's note: Video in the player above was originally published in a previous Artemis story on Sept. 1, 2022.
UPDATE:
3News' Betsy Kling confirmed late Saturday morning that the second attempt at launching the Artemis I rocket has been scrubbed due to fueling problems.
This is the second time this week that the Artemis launch has been scrubbed.
NASA officials will gather no earlier than 4 p.m. for a press conference to discuss the next steps for Artemis.
Original story:
3… 2… 1… Liftoff!
That’s the hope from NASA as they make their second attempt at launching the unmanned Artemis 1 rocket Saturday afternoon from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
So what can you expect? When can you watch the launch? What’s next in the Artemis mission? We have all those details in our guide below…
WHAT TIME IS THE ARTEMIS LAUNCH ATTEMPT ON SATURDAY?
The two-hour launch window opens at 2:17 p.m. EST on Saturday, Sept. 3.
HOW CAN I WATCH THE LAUNCH LIVE?
We will offer live streaming coverage of the Artemis 1 rocket launch live inside this story. You can also watch on our YouTube channel (subscribe here). 3News’ Betsy Kling is in Florida as well to bring you the latest updates on TV and online.
You can watch our special coverage of the Artemis mission in the player below, which originally aired Aug. 29:
WHAT IS THE ARTEMIS MISSION AND WHY IS IT SO HISTORIC?
"Artemis 1 is the first test of NASA’s deep space exploration systems, with the Orion spacecraft launching atop the massive Space Launch System rocket," according to the Kennedy Space Center. "This mission is the first in a series of missions to demonstrate NASA’s ability to extend human existence to the moon and beyond."
So what does that mean exactly?
"With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before," NASA explains. "We will collaborate with commercial and international partners and establish the first long-term presence on the moon. Then, we will use what we learn on and around the moon to take the next giant leap: Sending the first astronauts to Mars."
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF ARTEMIS 1 IN THE OVERALL PROGRAM?
"During this flight, the spacecraft will launch on the most powerful rocket in the world and fly farther than any spacecraft built for humans has ever flown," NASA explains. "It will travel 280,000 miles from Earth, thousands of miles beyond the moon over the course of about a four to six-week mission. Orion will stay in space longer than any ship for astronauts has done without docking to a space station and return home faster and hotter than ever before."
HOW IS THE ARTEMIS PROGRAM CONNECTED TO NORTEHAST OHIO?
Testing on the Orion space capsule was conducted at the Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky. The Orion capsule then traveled to Mansfield in March of 2020 where it was loaded on NASA's Supper Guppy plane to be transported to the Kennedy Space Center.
Editor's note: Video in the player above was originally published in a previous story on Aug. 29, 2022.
"NASA’s Orion spacecraft is built to take humans farther than they’ve ever gone before," NASA explains. "Orion will serve as the exploration vehicle that will carry the crew to space, provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during the space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities."
Once Orion is done orbiting the moon after 42 days with the Artemis 1 mission, the space capsule will be brought back to the NASA facility in Sandusky for additional testing.
WHAT’S NEXT?
"If all goes well, astronauts could strap in as soon as 2024 for a lap around the moon, with NASA aiming to land two people on the lunar surface by the end of 2025," according to this report from the Associated Press.