Final Preparations Underway for Artemis II Moon Mission, 80% Go Weather Forecast
摘要： NASA 肯尼迪航天中心团队正在进行 Artemis II 发射倒计时的最终准备工作，4 月 1 日发射当天天气预报显示 80% 适宜发射。
Countdown Preparations
Teams at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida are making final preparations toward beginning launch countdown activities for the Artemis II mission, set to launch as early as Wednesday, April 1, 2026.
The four-person crew — Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch (all NASA), and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen (CSA) — remain in quarantine as final systems checks continue.
Weather Forecast
The 45th Weather Squadron of the U.S. Space Force forecasts an 80% chance of favorable weather for launch day. Primary concerns include:
- Cumulus cloud coverage
- Potential for high winds in the area
- Thick cloud layers
Teams will continue monitoring weather conditions in the coming days.
Pre-Launch Schedule
| Date (ET) | Event |
|---|---|
| March 30, 5:00 pm | Post-Mission Management Team news conference |
| March 31, 1:00 pm | Pre-launch news conference |
| April 1, 7:45 am | Tanking operations begin |
| April 1, 12:50 pm | NASA+ launch coverage begins |
| April 1, ~6:24 pm | Launch (2-hour window opens) |
If the launch does not occur by April 6, the next window opens on April 30.
Historical Significance
Artemis II will be the first crewed mission to travel to the distance of the Moon since Apollo 17 in December 1972. The approximately 10-day mission will send the crew on a free-return trajectory around the Moon before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.