this is a test flight. with such new technology, there are a lot of things that could go wrong. we have done so much testing on this rocket. we ve been through integrated testing, we ve tested everything from the smallest material to every system. we have done everything we can do on the ground to eliminate the risk. from here, it sjust a matter of testing it in flight, and that s what we are excited about doing monday. so much is riding on this. the next step is to get astronauts on board. nasa s ultimate plan is to land the first woman and the first person of colour on the lunar surface. along the causeways around cape canaveral, people are getting ready to watch the launch, setting up early to bag the best spot. hundreds of thousands are expected in the area. i m really excited because it s one of the biggest rocket launches in 50 years. it s the largest so far that s going to be going up, and it will be extremely loud.
but beijing views the actions as provocative. nasa is preparing to launch its new rocket for its first mission to the moon in 50 years. it s due to lift off tomorrow afternoon from the kennedy space center. it s the first of the artemis mission and this flight will be uncrewed to test if the technology works. if successful, it will pave the way for human beings to return to the moon. 0ur science editor rebecca morelle reports from cape canaveral in florida. it s almost time. standing on launch pad 39b the same one used by the apollo missions the most powerful rockets nasa has ever built is ready for liftoff. the rocket is simply enormous, and it s only when you re standing here that you realise get a sense its size. and this is the last chance we ll see it up close. the launch pad is closing
this is newsday on the bbc. i m monica miller in singapore. 0ur headlines. a catastrophe on a scale never seen before in pakistan the foreign minister says flooding has affected millions, who re now in desperate need of shelter. nasa is counting down to the lift off of its giant new moon rocket the space launch system. 50 yea rs 50 years after the last apollo mission. in other news now, the us navy says the passage of two of its warships through the taiwan strait on sunday demonstrates the united states commitment to a free and open indo pacific. china put its military on high alert, viewing such actions as provocative. the warships are the first american vessels to make their way through the strait since china began military exercises in the waters around taiwan, in response to a recent visit by us house speaker nancy pelosi.
that could go wrong. we have done so much testing on this rocket. we ve been through integrated testing, we ve tested everything from the smallest material to every system. we have done everything we can do on the ground to eliminate the risk. from here, it sjust a matter of testing it in flight, and that s what we are excited about doing monday. so much is riding on this. the next step is to get astronauts on board. nasa s ultimate plan is to land the first woman and the first person of colour on the lunar surface. along the causeways around cape canaveral, people are getting ready to watch the launch, setting up early to bag the best spot. hundreds of thousands are expected in the area. i m really excited because it s one of the biggest rocket launches in 50 years. it s the largest so far that s going to be going up, and it will be extremely loud. i ve been watching this stuff ever since, well, i watched this space landing in 69. we live pretty close to where it s going to be launch
on the ground to eliminate the risk. from here, it sjust a matter of testing it in flight, and that s what we are excited about doing monday. so much is riding on this. the next step is to get astronauts on board. nasa s ultimate plan is to land the first woman and the first person of colour on the lunar surface. along the causeways around cape canaveral, people are getting ready to watch the launch, setting up early to bag the best spot. hundreds of thousands are expected in the area. i m really excited because it s one of the biggest rocket launches in 50 years. i will be out there. it s the largest so far that s going to be going up, and it will be extremely loud. i ve been watching this stuff ever since, well, i watched this space landing in 69. we live pretty close to where it s going to be launching, so we are probablyjust - going to climb up on our roof and watch it from there! the weather might have other ideas, though. above the launch pad, the storms keep on coming. nasa w