INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The countdown for Artemis II is on as its four astronauts prepare to rocket into space for a history-making journey to the moon – a voyage that has not been made in more than 50 years.

The space travelers will venture in a capsule that will fly around the moon and back to Earth. The test flight will lead to future Artemis missions that will see humans landing on the lunar surface, NASA officials say.

Despite a forecast of partly cloudy skies, up to 400,000 people were expected to travel to the Space Coast in Brevard County to witness the crewed launch in person.

NASA Astronauts Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor J. Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Jeremy Hansen, will launch in an Orion spacecraft atop the Space Launch System rocket. The launch was slated for no earlier than 6:24 p.m. Wednesday, April 1 at the Kennedy Space Center in Merritt Island.

Artemis II has a two-hour launch window, which closes at 8:24 p.m. The window allows for technical adjustments or weather delays.

The astronauts will blast off from Launch Pad 39B on a 10-day journey with the world closely watching. Those hoping to avoid the heavy traffic in Brevard can remain in Indian River County to watch – if the skies are permitting – as the Artemis II spacecraft punches its way through the atmosphere.

Here are some of the best places in Indian River County, recommended by county officials, to watch the Artemis II launch:

Tracking Station Beachfront Park, 800 46th Place, Vero Beach
Beachcomber Lane Beach Access, Indian River Shores
Seagrape Trail Beach Access, Indian River Shores
Wabasso Causeway Park, 1820 Wabasso Beach Road
Golden Sands Park, 10350 Highway A1A, Indian River Shores
Ambersand Beach Access, 12570 Highway A1A
Turtle Trail Beach Access, 692 Ocean Road, Indian River Shores
Sebastian Inlet State Park, 9700 Highway A1A
Indian River County Fairgrounds & Expo Center, 7955 58th Avenue

The temperature in Vero Beach was forecast to be in the upper 70s about the time of the launch, said Megan Tollefsen, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Melbourne. Wednesday will have a high of 80 degrees, Tollefsen said.

Spectators watching from the beach might want to bring a jacket for the breeze off the Atlantic Ocean. There will be a 20 percent chance of rain in Vero Beach with gusts as high as 20 mph on Wednesday, meteorologists said.

While the views in Indian River County could be impacted by cloud cover, along with the rocket’s trajectory, on clear days launches from the Kennedy Space Center can be seen as far away as South Florida. Spectators in the Vero Beach area should be able to see the rocket, weather permitting, about 20 seconds after launch, according to NASA.

The rocket was expected to travel northeast, but its trajectory may change, NASA officials said. After 70 seconds, the rocket will be more than 40,000 feet above ground and out of visibility range.

The Artemis II launch will be livestreamed on NASA’s website starting at 7:45 a.m. Wednesday, April 1. If Artemis II is postponed on Wednesday, the backup launch dates are April 2-6 and April 30, according to NASA.

More information on the Artemis II launch can be found on NASA’s website.