The Artemis II Astronauts Check Out Their Ride to the Moon on This Week @NASA – August 11, 2023

**The Artemis II Astronauts Check Out Their Ride to the Moon**

On August 8, 2023, the Artemis II astronauts visited NASA's Kennedy Space Center to check out the Orion spacecraft that will carry them around the Moon and back. They also participated in a news conference with NASA leadership to discuss Artemis II and how it will help pave the way for future long-term human exploration missions to the moon and eventually to Mars.

The Artemis II mission is scheduled to launch in 2024 and will be the first mission with astronauts to the Moon in more than 50 years. The astronauts will spend about 10 days in space, orbiting the Moon and returning to Earth safely.

This video takes a look at the Artemis II astronauts' visit to Kennedy Space Center and their preparations for the mission. We also hear from NASA leadership about the importance of Artemis II and the future of human spaceflight.

**Watch the video to learn more about the Artemis II mission and the next steps in NASA's journey to the Moon and Mars.**

Here are some additional details that you can include in the description:

* The Artemis II astronauts are Kayla Barron, Raja Chari, Thomas H. Marshburn, and Matthew Dominick.
* The Orion spacecraft is being built by Lockheed Martin.
* The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket will be used to launch Orion into space.
* The Artemis II mission will be the first time that humans have orbited the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972.
* The Artemis program is NASA's plan to return humans to the Moon by 2024 and establish a sustainable presence there by the end of the decade.

I hope this helps!