A six-week mission in space, in preparation for more than a decade, launched in front of tens of thousands of spectators: NASA's new rocket, the most powerful in the world, is due to take off on Monday for the first time since the Florida, head for the moon.

Fifty years after the last Apollo flight, the Artemis 1 mission should mark the launch of the American program to return to the Moon, which should allow humanity to then reach Mars, aboard the same vessel.

The weather is 80% favorable for an on-time launch

The Orion capsule, tested here uncrewed, will be rocketed into orbit around the Moon, to verify that the vehicle is safe for future astronauts — including the first woman and first person of color to walk on the lunar surface.

"This mission carries the dreams and hopes of many people," said NASA boss Bill Nelson.

“We are now the Artemis generation.

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Liftoff is scheduled for 8:33 a.m. (12:33 p.m. GMT, 2:33 p.m. in France) from launch pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center.

The weather is 80% favorable for an on-time launch, at the start of the two-hour launch window.

From its height of 98 meters, the orange and white SLS rocket will not be able to take off in the event of rain or thunderstorms.

Its tanks must be filled during the night from Sunday to Monday with more than three million liters of fuel - liquid hydrogen and oxygen.

Between 100,000 and 200,000 people expected to attend the show

Sign of the times, the first female launch director at NASA, Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, will give the final green light.

Women represent 30% of the workforce in the launch room – compared to only one at the time of Apollo 11.

Two minutes after takeoff, the boosters will fall back into the Atlantic.

After eight minutes, the main stage will detach in turn.

Then, after about an hour and a half, a final push from the upper stage will put the capsule on its way to the Moon, which it will take several days to reach.

Between 100,000 and 200,000 people are expected to attend the show, including the Vice President of the United States Kamala Harris.

Distance record

In addition to the weather, technical problems could lead to the postponement of takeoff until the last moment, warned NASA officials, who insist that it is a test flight.

The next possible take-off date is September 2.

The main objective of the mission is to test the heat shield of the capsule, which will return to the Earth's atmosphere at nearly 40,000 km / h, and a temperature half as hot as the surface of the Sun.

Instead of astronauts, mannequins took place on board, equipped with sensors recording vibrations and radiation levels.

Microsatellites will also be deployed to study the Moon, or even an asteroid.

On-board cameras will make it possible to follow this journey of 42 days in total.

The capsule will venture up to 64,000 km behind the Moon, farther than any other habitable spacecraft so far.

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