This browser does not support the Video element.
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - NASA is preparing to launch the Artemis II mission that will send four astronauts on a trip around the moon.
A critical test of the spacecraft, known as a wet dress rehearsal, is set to begin at Kennedy Space Center, where Space Launch System rocket is sitting on the launchpad.
The test was delayed to Monday because of extreme cold weather in Central Florida over the weekend.
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX LOCAL APP
What does the Artemis II wet dress rehearsal involve?
For the wet dress rehearsal, engineers and ground crew will run through checks of the rocket that would be conducted on launch day. The test includes fueling the rocket with more than 700,000 gallons of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen.
Engineers are expected to charge the flight batteries for the Orion capsule, which will carry the astronauts into space on launch day.
Teams will also complete a simulated launch countdown that’s set to begin at 9 p.m. ET. The test is expected to last until 1 a.m. Tuesday.
If everything goes well, NASA will then set a launch date for the Artemis II mission. The earliest launch opportunity is no earlier than Feb. 8, according to NASA.
SIGN-UP FOR FOX 35'S BREAKING NEWS, DAILY NEWS NEWSLETTERS
Journey to the Moon
FILE - NASA astronauts (left to right) Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Jeremy Hansen. (Credit: NASA/Josh Valcarcel)
Artemis II will be the first crewed mission to the Moon in more than 50 years.
Four astronauts—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen—will make a 10-day journey around the Moon and back.
The crew is currently in quarantine at Johnson Space Center in Houston, where they will remain until it's time for them to travel to Florida for the launch.
The Artemis II mission marks a significant step toward returning humans to the Moon's surface.
The Source: This story was written with information from NASA and previous FOX 35 reporting.