Artemis II is ready for takeoff (weather permitting)

Reality check: As is the case with most travel, weather is a factor. If Artemis II cannot launch Wednesday, the next window is April 2–6.

• After April 6, the next launch window is April 30.

Zoom in: Coverage from NASA starts Wednesday at 6:45am CT and continues at 11:50am, when the NASA+ coverage of the launch will start.

• NASA will cover the mission on its YouTube channel and its mission blog.
• Follow a virtual tracker to see the Orion spacecraft's location.

State of play: The Orion spacecraft making the trip successfully orbited the moon in 2022 without astronauts on board, prepping it to carry humans for this mission.

• "When it's time to come home, Orion will plunge through Earth's atmosphere at roughly 25,000 miles per hour ... the heat shield will reach temperatures near 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit - almost as hot as the surface of the Sun - while inside the capsule, conditions stay close to room temperature," Voula Saridakis, the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry's head curator and NASA Solar System Ambassador, told Axios.
• The living space inside Orion's crew module, where the astronauts actually spend their time, is about the size of two minivans, Saridakis added.

The intrigue: During the flight, the crew may witness an "Earthrise," when Earth slowly appears above the Moon's horizon, which Apollo 8 captured in an iconic photo.

• Griffin MSI is home to the Apollo 8 capsule, currently on loan from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

What's next: Axios Huntsville and Axios Houston will have coverage of Artemis II after Wednesday's scheduled launch.