The Artemis II mission around the moon will be a brilliant last hurrah for several space shuttle engines and booster rocket parts that first flew as far back as 1982.

On January 28, 1986, Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart just 73 seconds after liftoff. Pilot Michael Smith's final words revealed something was very wrong.

Astrophiles are eagerly awaiting the launch of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Artemis II on Wednesday, which is set to be the most powerful rocket launch on record and will send human beings back toward the moon for the first time in over 50 years.

NASA's Artemis II mission will launch with SLS rocket engines that have flown multiple times on past space shuttle missions. Here's their story.

Four astronauts will launch on the Artemis II mission Wednesday, marking the first human trip around the moon in over 50 years.

1. Artemis II involves a lunar fly-around by four astronauts. 2. Artemis III focuses on launching a lunar lander into orbit around Earth in 2027 for docking practice by astronauts flying in an Orion capsule. 3. Artemis IV aims to land astronauts on the moon in 2028.

Artemis II is scheduled to launch on Wednesday, April 1, at 6:24 p.m. EDT. If, for whatever reason, the launch does not occur at exactly that time, the crew has a two-hour window to execute it.