Countdown to NASA’s historic Artemis II launch

HISTORIC MISSION AROUND THE MOON LESS THAN 24 HOURS FROM. AROUND THE MOON LESS THAN 24 HOURS FROM NOW. NOW. TOM COSTELLO IS AT THE KENNEDY SPACE. TOM COSTELLO IS AT THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER FOROR US. CENTER FOR US TONIGHT. >> Reporter: STANDING. TONIGHT. >> Reporter: STANDING ON LAUNCH PAD 39B, >> Reporter: STANDING ON LAUNCH PAD 39B, ARTEMIS IS TONIGHT. ON LAUNCH PAD 39B, ARTEMIS IS TONIGHT POPOISED FOR LIFTOFF. ARTEMIS IS TONIGHT POISED FOR LIFTOFF. THE CREW IN. POISED FOR LIFTOFF. THE CREW IN QUARANTINE WITH THEIR. THE CREW IN QUARANTINE WITH THEIR FAMILIES. FAMILIES. COMMANDER REED WISEMAN POSTING THTHIS. COMMANDER REED WISEMAN POSTING THIS PHOTO WITH HIS. WISEMAN POSTING THIS PHOTO O WITH HIS DAUGHTERS. PHOTO WITH HIS DAUGHTERS. NASA CHIEFEF SAYS THEY. DAUGHTERS. NASA CHIEF SAYS THEY REREPRESENT A NEW. NASA CHIEF SAYS THEY REPRESENT A NEW GENERARATION. REPRESENT A A NEW GENERATION. WHAT DOES IT MEAN IN. GENERATION. WHAT DOES IT MEAN IN TERMS OF AMERICA'S. WHAT DOES IT MEAN IN TERMS OF AMERICA'S PLACE IN SPACE. TERMS OF AMERICA'S PLACE IN SPAPACE HISTORY? HISTORY? >> IT MEANS WE'RE ABOUT TO MAKE E OUR. >> IT MEANS WE'RE ABOUT TO MAKE OUR RERETURN TO THE MOON,

ABOUT TO MAKE OUR RETURN T TO THE MOON, AND THIS TIME, TO. RETURN TO THE MOON, AND THIS TIME, TO STAY. AND THIS TIME, TO STSTAY. ARTEMIS 2 IS THE. STAY. ARTEMIS 2 IS THE OPENING ACT. OPENING ACT. >> Reporter: THE NEXT 24 HOURS W WILL BE. >> Reporter: THE NEXT 24 H HOURS WILL BE CRITICAL FOR LAUNCH. 24 HOUOURS WILL BE CRITICAL FOR LAUNCH. AT 7:34 A.M., GROUND. CRITICAL FOR LAUNCH. AT 7:34 A.M., , GROUND TEAMS WILL BEGIN. AT 7:34 4 A.M., GROUND TEAMS WILL BEGIN FUELING THE ROCKET. E. FUELING THE ROCKET. AT 9:45 A.M., THE CREW ALREADY ON. AT 9:45 A.M., THE CREW ALREADY ON MISSION TIME WILL. CREW ALREADY ON MISSION TIME WILL WAKE UP, EAT. MISSION TIME WILL WAKE U UP, EAT BREAKFAST, AND SUIT. BREAKFAST, AND SUIT UP. AT 2:00 P.M.M., THEY'LL. UP. AT 2:00 P.M., THEY'LL HEHEAD TO THE PAD. AT 2:00 P.M., THEY'LL HEAD TO THE PAD. AT 6:24 P.M., THEY. HEAD TO THE PAD. AT 6:24 P.M., THEY BEGIN A TEN-DAY. AT 6:24 P.M., THEY BEGIN A TEN-DAY MISSSSION TO THE MOON. BEGIN A TEN-DAY MISSION TO THE MOON. SOSO TO ACHIEVE THIS, MISSION TO THE MOON. SO TO ACHIEVE THIS, NASA HAS BUILT ONE OF. SO TO ACHIEVE THIS, NASA HAS BUILT ONE OF THE LARGEST AND MOST. THE LARGEST AND MOST POWERFUL ROCKETS EVER.

POWERFUL ROCKETS EVER. THIS IS CALLED SLS. EVER. THIS IS CALLED SLS. THE SPACE LAUNCH. THIS IS CALLED SLS. THE SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM. THE SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM. IT STANDS A MASSIVE. SYSTEM. IT STANDS A MASSIVE 322 FEET TALL. IT STANDS A MASSIVE 322 FEET TALL. THAT'S TALLER THAN. 322 FEET TALL. THAT'S TALLER THAN THE STATUE OF. THAT'S TALLER THAN THE STATUE OF LIBERTY. THE STATUE OF LIBEBERTY. IT'S HUGE. LILIBERTY. IT'S HUGE. AND IT FEATURES THESE. ITIT'S HUGE. AND IT FEATURES THESE FOUR ENGINES AT ITS. AND IT FEATURES THESESE FOUR ENGINES AT ITS BASE ALONG WITH TWO. FOUR ENGINES AT ITS BASE A ALONG WITH TWO BOOSTER ROCKETS RIGHT. BOOSTER ROCKETS RIGHT THERE. THIS COMOMBINED FORCE. THERE. THIS COMBINED FORCE PROVIDES THE LIFT. THIS COMBINED FORCE PROVIDES THE L LIFT NEEDED FOR 7 MILLION. NEEDED FOR 7 MILLION POUNDS GETTING OFF THE GRGROUND AND INTO. POUNDS GETTING OFF THE GROUNDND AND INTO SPACE. T. SPACE. THAT'S THE EQUIVALENT OF 700 ELEPHANTS. THAT'S THE EQUIVALENT OF 700 ELEPHANTS. AT THE VERY TOP P OF. OF 700 ELEPHANTS. AT THE VERERY TOP OF THE ROCKET, THAT'S. AT THE VERY TOP OF THE ROCKETET, THAT'S THE ORION SPACE. THE ROCKET, THAT'S THE ORION SPACE CAPSULE. THE ORION SPACE CAPSULE. >> I THINK THE NATION.

>> I THINK THE NATION AND THE WORLRLD HAS BEEN WAITING LONG. AND THE WORLD HAS BEEN WAITING LONG TIME TO DO THIS. TIME TO DO THIS AGAIN. >> Repeporter: MISSION. AGAIN. >> Reporteter: MISSION MANAGERS INSIST. >> Reporter: MISSIONON MANAGERS INSIST ASTRONAUT SAFETY IS. ASTRONAUT SAFETY IS THE HIGHEST PRIORITY. >> THE KEY TO THIS IS. THE HIGHEST PRIORITY. >> THE KEY TO THIS IS UNDERSTANDING THE. >> THE KEY TO THIS IS UNDERSTANDING THE RISKSK, DOING. UNDERSTANDINING THE RISK, DOING EVERYTHING YOU. RIRISK, DOING EVERYTHING YOU POSSIBLY CAN TO DRIVE. EVERYTYTHING YOU POSSIBLY CAN TO DRIVE IT TO ZERO, AND THEN. IT TO ZERO, AND THEN AT SOME POINT, YOU'RE GOING TO ACCEPT T THAT. AT SOME POINT, YOU'RE GOINING TO ACCEPT THAT RISK BECAUSE YOU'RE. RISK BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TOTO EXPLORE THE WORLD. NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO EXPLORE THE WORLD BEYOYOND OURS WITHOUT. TO EXPLORE THE WORLD BEBEYOND OURS WITHOUT TAKING SOME RISK. BEYOND OURS WITHOUT TAKING SOME RISK. >> A AND TOM JOINS US. TAKING SOME RISK. >> AND TOM JOINS US NONOW LIVE. NOW LIVE. TOM, THE U.S. LANDED ON THE MOON MORE THAN. TOM, THE U.S. LANDED ON THE MOON MORERE THAN 50 YEARS AGO. ON THE MOON MORE THAN 5050 YEARS AGO. EXPLAIN TO OUR. 50 YEARS AGO. EXPLAIN TO OUR VIEWERS THE. EXPLAIN TO OUR VIEWERERS THE IMPORTANCE NASA SEES.

VIEWERS THE IMPORTANCE NASA SEES IN TRYING AGAIN. IMPORTANCE NASA SEESES IN TRYING AGAIN. >> Reporter: SO THIS. G. >> Reporter: SO THIS IS ALL ABOUT BUILDING A MOON BASE. IS ALL ABOUT BUILDING A MOON BASE. GETTING ASASTRONAUTS ON. A MOON BASE. GETTING ASTRONAUTS ON THE MOON IN 2028, GETTING ASTRONAUTS ON THE MOON IN 2028, BUILDING THAT MOON. THE MOON IN 2028, BUILDING THAHAT MOON BASE. DO.