Artemis II moon mission guide: How to watch, who are the astronauts

As early as Wednesday, Artemis II will make history, taking astronauts around the moon for the first time in more than 50 years. The four-person crew will launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, Florida, for a 10-day journey.

The trip will pave the way for future Artemis missions that could eventually see astronauts set foot on the moon and the building of a permanent lunar base.

Here's what you need to know about the upcoming Artemis II mission, including how long it will take, who the astronauts are and how to watch. How long will the mission take?

Artemis II will take the four astronauts on a 685,000 mile, 10-day journey around the moon, also known as a lunar fly-by. April 1 is the first launch opportunity date with a window between 6:24 p. m. ET and 8:24 p. m.

ET and potential backup dates between April 2 and April 6. The weather forecast on Wednesday shows an 80% chance of favorable weather conditions, according to NASA. Primary weather concerns include cloud coverage and potential for high winds on the ground.

Day 1 will be the launch with Day 2 through Day 4 being outbound transit, or the spacecraft heading towards the moon. Day 5 will be the lunar flyby. The spacecraft will pass within approximately 4,700 miles beyond the far side of the moon.

This would be further than any humans have ever traveled in deep space. Meanwhile, Day 6 through Day 10 will see the return of the astronauts and re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. Who are the astronauts who will be onboard?

The Artemis II crew will be made up of four astronauts: Victor Glover, Christina Hammock Koch and Reid Wiseman of NASA and Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency.