With the early-morning Wednesday launch of Artemis I

 a highly publicised mission that has taken decades to prepare,

the United States is making its first lunar landing in 50 years.

At 3:50 p.m., NASA personnel continued to refuel the

322-foot Space Launch System rocket with liquid hydrogen and oxygen.

ET, or a little more than nine hours before takeoff. At 1:04 a.m.

the Artemis I launch is slated to begin. ET, giving

NASA a window of two hours to launch the rocket into orbit