NASA (US space agency)

Měiguó Yǔhángjú

美国宇航局

to initiate / start

qǐdòng

启动

Artemis

Āěrtìmísī

阿尔忒弥斯

II / the second

èr hào

二号

countdown

dào jìshí

倒计时

，

humanity

rénlèi

人类

to return to

chóngfǎn

重返

the Moon

yuèqiú

月球

imminent / approaching

zàijí

在即

。

New Words

News in English

NASA Begins Artemis II Countdown as Historic Crewed Moon Mission Set for April 1 Launch

NASA began the Artemis II countdown on March 30 for an April 1 launch that will mark the first crewed mission to fly around the Moon since 1972, with the four-person crew already in quarantine.

NASA initiated the launch countdown for Artemis II on March 30, scheduled to lift off on April 1. This mission will be the first crewed lunar flight since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. Four astronauts arrived at the launch site on March 27 to begin pre-mission quarantine preparatory work. The astronauts participating in this mission are from the United States and Canada, including Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover and others. If the mission is completed successfully, Christina Koch will become the first female astronaut to fly beyond low Earth orbit. This flight will use the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft, to orbit the Moon and then return to Earth. Mission management personnel stated that launch preparations are proceeding smoothly, with favorable weather conditions on launch day having an approximate probability of 80 percent. The Artemis II mission is an important step in the American program to return to the Moon, with the ultimate goal to allow humanity to once again step onto the Moon's surface.

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