The countdown for NASA’s historic Artemis II launch is officially underway, as four brave astronauts are preparing to journey to the moon.
And one crew member, Reid Wiseman - a Navy test pilot and single father who will serve as commander - had a heartfelt conversation with his two daughters ahead of the mission.
Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency)'s Jeremy Hansen, will embark on a 10-day-long journey in space, more than half a million miles, marking the first time humanity has been to the moon in 50 years. The crew will go farther into space than any humans have ever gone.
NASA has outlined how they're currently in quarantine under strict health monitoring and are completing medical checks to ensure fitness for launch, which includes following a 'controlled sleep schedule and nutrition plan to maintain energy and hydration.'
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The clock is ticking down at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, for a targeted launch time of 6.24pm EDT (11.24pm BST) on Wednesday, 1 April.
After the February launch date was delayed due to a helium flow issue, officials have been keeping a close watch on the weather and other factors to ensure a safe takeoff.
As well as doing all of the necessary preparations, Wiseman, 50, went on a walk with his daughters and had a heartbreaking conversation about the worst-case scenario.
The commander has been a single father to two teenage daughters, Ellie and Katherine, after his wife, who was a nurse in a newborn intensive care unit, tragically passed away from cancer in 2020.
As reported by The Times, he has raised the teens while training for the mission and has been open and honest about the risks involved.
“I try to train them openly and honestly. It’s the best thing you can do,” he told the publication.
He continued: "Our kids know each other, spouses know each other … I know who everyone is going to lean on to get through this together while we’re up there.
"Then there are the more personal touchpoints. I went on a walk with my kids; I told them: ‘Here’s where the will is, here’s where the trust documents are, and if anything happens to me, here’s what’s going to happen to you.’"
The astronaut admitted, "I actually wish more people in everyday life talked to their families in that way because you never know what the next day is going to bring," CNN reports.
And he's not the only one who's had to have difficult conversations, as mission specialist Hansen spoke to the Canadian Broadcasting Corp about the realities of the risk.
He said: "It's plausible that we can’t talk to Earth, and we’re having trouble with the spacecraft.
"What are the bare basics to give us a fighting chance to still be breathing and to hit somewhere on the planet, and ideally hit the Pacific Ocean? Obviously, I’ve had that conversation with my wife and my children."
Taking a more humorous approach, mission specialist Koch joked about leaving her husband at home with no easy way of getting in touch.
“I really have to make sure he knows that it’s not like the International Space Station where we can just make a phone call, so he’s not going to be able to call me and ask where something is in the house. He’s going to have to find it," she said.
Madison Burgess