NASA has reportedly approved the launch of its Moon rocket for April, a significant step toward sending four astronauts following the completion of final repairs. According to recent reports, the 98-meter rocket is all set to return to the launch pad next week at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida next week. This marks the first time in over 50 years that a crewed flight to the Moon will be witnessed. While originally scheduled this year, the mission was pushed to April due to hydrogen fuel leaks and helium flow issues.

To accommodate the mission, NASA has identified a narrow six-day window in early April. Should this window be missed, the launch will be delayed until late April or early May. Officials noted that the mission carries significant risks, citing an approximately 50% success rate for relatively new rocket systems and the long gaps since the last uncrewed SLS flight.

In this regard, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has restructured the Artemis timeline to increase mission frequency and reduce long-term risk. The NASA Office of Inspector General warned this week during an audit that the space agency needs to develop a plan to rescue its lunar crews. The recent report clarified that landing near the Moon’s south pole will be more dangerous than the Apollo-era landings near the equator due to the complex polar terrain. Significant challenges persist, specifically the unproven process of refueling lunar landers in Earth orbit.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, which received a contract from NASA to supply lunar landers, have accelerated their work to meet the new target date of 2028. This stands in contrast to the Apollo program, which sent 24 astronauts to the Moon, successfully landing 12 and achieving nearly all mission goals.