Artemis II moon mission guide: How to watch, who are the astronauts

As early as Wednesday, Artemis II will make history, taking astronauts around the moon for the first time in more than 50 years.

The four-person crew will launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, Florida, for a 10-day journey.

The trip will pave the way for future Artemis missions that could eventually see astronauts set foot on the moon and the building of a permanent lunar base.

Here's what you need to know about the upcoming Artemis II mission, including how long it will take, who the astronauts are and how to watch.

How long will the mission take?

Artemis II will take the four astronauts on a 685,000 mile, 10-day journey around the moon, also known as a lunar fly-by.

April 1 is the first launch opportunity date with a window between 6:24 p.m. ET and 8:24 p.m. ET and potential backup dates between April 2 and April 6.

The weather forecast on Wednesday shows an 80% chance of favorable weather conditions, according to NASA. Primary weather concerns include cloud coverage and potential for high winds on the ground.

Day 1 will be the launch with Day 2 through Day 4 being outbound transit, or the spacecraft heading towards the moon.

Day 5 will be the lunar flyby. The spacecraft will pass within approximately 4,700 miles beyond the far side of the moon.This would be further than any humans have ever traveled in deep space.

Meanwhile, Day 6 through Day 10 will see the return of the astronauts and re-entry into Earth's atmosphere.

Who are the astronauts who will be onboard?

The Artemis II crew will be made up of four astronauts: Victor Glover, Christina Hammock Koch and Reid Wiseman of NASA and Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency.

Koch will be the first woman and Glover will be the first person of color to travel to the moon.

Wiseman is mission commander, responsible for the overall execution, safety and success of the mission.

Glover is the pilot, with responsibility for operating the spacecraft. Koch and Hansen are mission specialists, responsible for conducting scientific experiments, operating specialized equipment and performing spacewalks.

How are the astronauts getting to space?

Astronauts will be using NASA's newest spacecraft, Orion, for the lunar flyby.

This is the first crewed Orion mission. An uncrewed Orion was tested during Artemis I in November 2022, sending the spacecraft as close as 60 miles from the moon, and then 40,000 miles above the moon when orbiting over its dark side.

Orion will ascend atop the Space Launch System rocket. According to NASA, this is currently the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts and cargo directly to the moon in a single launch.

How to watch the Artemis II mission

ABC News will have live coverage of NASA's Artemis II mission, including a live blog for the duration of the mission, and major milestones such as the launch and splashdown broadcast on ABC News Live and streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.

NASA will begin streaming live views from the launch pad in its YouTube channel, which will continue through launch.

The launch can also be viewed on NASA's social media platforms include Facebook, twitch and X as well as NASA+, the agency's streaming service.

NASA's YouTube channel will also offer continuous live low-resolution video from cameras onboard the Orion spacecraft.