The countdown has begun.
The countdown clock at Kennedy Space Center is moving toward tomorrow’s Artemis II launch. NASA teams have given the "go" for the mission to proceed. Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson says that everything continues to look good and there's nothing preventing the team from moving forward with the launch attempt.
“It’s an exciting time for this team, this crew and our nation. We’ll fly when this hardware is ready, we’ll see if its’ ready to go, but certainly all indications are right now we are in excellent shape.”
The four-person crew is scheduled to lift off from Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, April 1. Weather is expected to be 80% favorable. The SLS rocket will be begin fueling early Wednesday morning. The two-hour launch window opens at 6:24PM. The 10-day test flight will take the Orion spacecraft on a journey around the moon.
When the Artemis II mission clears the launch tower, the SLS rocket and the Orion spacecraft will be carrying humans for the first time.
Brevard braces for launch lookie-loos.
Some 400,000 visitors are expected to crowd Brevard viewing spots on launch day. If you have a favorite spot to watch launches, get there early on Wednesday. County emergency management warns to expect traffic delays and congestion. You’re encouraged to use the Waze app if you are driving in north and central Brevard. Maps for traffic diversions and boating restrictions can be found on the Brevard County Emergency Management Facebook page.
Florida loses another environmental case.
Wildlife advocates applaud the ruling as Florida loses another wetlands permitting case. WFIT’s Terri Wright has more.
Florida has spent years seeking control over a portion of the Clean Water Act that governs permits for wetland destruction. But on March 27, a federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., ruled that authority should remain with federal agencies, citing protections under the Endangered Species Act for wildlife tied to wetland habitats.
Earthjustice, representing groups including the Sierra Club, the Florida Wildlife Federation, and St. Johns Riverkeeper, brought the case. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection now has 90 days to appeal the decision, which could send the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Fertility clinic suddenly closes.
The Orlando fertility clinic that mixed up embryos of a Brevard couple with another family has suddenly closed. The closure was unexpected by the clinic’s own attorneys. The Fertility Center of Orlando is involved in a lawsuit over the embryo mixup, and yesterday a judge noted that the lack of access to the facility could delay testing required to identify biological parents. The Brevard couple is suing Fertility Center of Orlando for implanting the wrong embryo. The couple is also worried one of their embryos may have been erroneously implanted in another woman, who is now raising their biological child.
