WESH TWO NEWS SUNRISE STARTS NOW. HAPPY LAUNCH DAY EVERYONE! AND BEFORE THE SLS ROCKET SUPPORTING NASA’S ARTEMIS TWO MISSION BLAST OFF, IT NEEDS TO BE LOADED WITH HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF GALLONS OF FUEL. THAT WILL BEGIN NOW IN JUST A COUPLE OF HOURS, WE WILL BE WATCHING THOSE TANKING OPERATIONS VERY CLOSELY. EXCITING DAY ALL ACROSS CENTRAL FLORIDA FOR THE STATE AND OF COURSE, THE COUNTRY. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. GREAT TO HAVE YOU WITH US. I’M ALAN CAMPBELL AND I’M NANCY ALVAREZ. OF COURSE, ANOTHER MAJOR FACTOR IN TONIGHT’S LAUNCH IS THE WEATHER. YOU CAN’T DO IT IF THE WEATHER IS NOT COOPERATING. WE WANT TO BRING IN FIRST WARNING METEOROLOGIST ERIC BURRIS ERIC. THE TWO BIG THINGS MISSION LEADERS ARE WATCHING FOR. AS ALWAYS, WINDS AND CLOUDS. RIGHT. AND THOSE TWO ARE THINGS THAT WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE WATCHING VERY, VERY CLOSELY. YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THE ROCKET, THERE ARE THOSE BIG TOWERS ON THE FAR RIGHT SIDE. PROBABLY NOT EVEN SOMETHING THAT YOU NOTICE UNLESS I’M POINTING IT OUT. BUT THERE ARE WEATHER SENSORS ON THOSE TOWERS, AND THAT’S SOMETHING WE’RE VERY CLOSELY WATCHING BECAUSE IT’S NOT JUST THE WINDS AT THE SURFACE, BUT YOU HAVE TO GO ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP OF THE ROCKET. SO FOR TODAY, GOING WITH AN 80% CHANCE OF GOOD WEATHER, THAT LAUNCH WINDOW OPENS UP AT 624, AND THERE’S A TWO HOUR WINDOW. ONE OTHER THING I WANTED TO POINT OUT THE WINDS ARE COMING IN FROM THE OCEAN, WHICH MEANS THAT THE RUMBLE, THE ROAR OF THIS ROCKET COULD PROBABLY GO ALL THE WAY IN TO ABOUT UNION PARK, WATERFORD LAKES AREA, ABOUT 45 MILES. SO I THINK THAT’S KIND OF SOMETHING INTERESTING. SO FOR THOSE WANTING TO WATCH THE ROCKET, BEAUTIFUL DAY WILL BUILD CLOUDS MIDDAY, BUT RIGHT AROUND LUNCH TIME WE’RE GOING TO START CLEARING THOSE CLOUDS BACK OUT. I THINK IT’S GOING TO BE FANTASTIC VIEWING. WE’RE MONITORING EVERY FACET OF THIS AND WE’LL TALK MORE ABOUT THOSE WINDS FOR LIFTOFF. WHEN I SEE IT COMING UP IN JUST A COUPLE OF MINUTES, AS WE MENTIONED AT THE TOP OF THE SHOW, THIS IS A VERY BIG DAY, ESPECIALLY ON THE SPACE COAST. NASA TRYING TO SEND ASTRONAUTS AROUND THE MOON FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MORE THAN 50 YEARS. WESH 2’S BOB HAZEN LIVE IN TITUSVILLE, BOB MISSION MANAGERS SAY THE WEATHER AND LEAKS ARE THEIR MAIN CONCERN. EITHER ONE OF THOSE COULD FORCE THEM TO POSTPONE THE LAUNCH TODAY, BUT FOR NOW, THEY SAY EVERYTHING IS LOOKING GOOD. THIS ARTEMIS TWO MISSION HAS BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR YEARS AND YEARS OF PLANNING, THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WORKING ON IT TO GET TO THIS POINT, NASA PLANNING TO SEND THE FOUR ASTRONAUTS IN AN ORION SPACECRAFT ON A LUNAR FLYBY, GOING AROUND THE MOON AND THEN COMING BACK. IT’S A MAJOR TEST FOR THE SYSTEM THAT THEY HOPE WILL GET AMERICA BACK ON THE MOON IN THE YEARS AHEAD. THIS LAUNCH WAS ORIGINALLY SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN BACK IN FEBRUARY. IT WAS PUSHED BACK BECAUSE THE TEAM FOUND HYDROGEN LEAKS. THAT ROCKET IS GOING TO BE FILLED WITH FREEZING LIQUID HYDROGEN, AND A LARGE LEAK COULD LEAD TO DISASTER, AND THEY SHOULD BE ALMOST FULLY LOADED BY AROUND 1 P.M. SO THAT’S GOING TO BE A REALLY GOOD SIGN. IF THAT GOES WELL, THEN WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT CHANCE TO LAUNCH. NASA DOES BELIEVE THEY FIXED THOSE ISSUES. THEY ALSO SAY THE WEATHER IS AN 80% GOOD FOR LAUNCH, BUT THEY ARE A LITTLE CONCERNED. AS ERIC WAS SAYING EARLIER ABOUT WIND AND CLOUDS. THE WEATHER HAS TO BE GOOD FOR THE ENTIRE FLIGHT PATH, BUT THEY ALSO SAY THAT TODAY HAS THE BEST WEATHER THAT WE’RE GOING TO SEE ALL WEEK LONG. SO TODAY IS REALLY THE BEST CHANCE FOR THEM TO GET THIS LAUNCH OFF. AND OF COURSE, THIS IS A BIG EVENT FOR LOTS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE SPACE FANS AND WANT TO SEE THIS LAUNCH IN PERSON. AND MEREDITH MCDONOUGH IN THE STUDIO HAS THAT ANGLE FOR THIS. HEY, BOB. YES, AT LEAST 400,000 PEOPLE ARE EXPECTED IN BREVARD COUNTY FOR TONIGHT’S LAUNCH. THE SPACE COAST OFFICE OF TOURISM SAYS THAT MOST HOTELS IN TITUSVILLE, CAPE CANAVERAL AND COCOA ARE SOLD OUT NOW. SOME PEOPLE HAVE EVEN SET UP THEIR RV’S ON THE SIDE OF STATE ROAD. 528 GETTING THEIR SPOTS DAYS EARLIER. NOW, THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE SAYS THAT SAFETY IS THEIR TOP PRIORITY. IF YOU PLAN TO WATCH THE LAUNCH FROM 528, IT ASKS THAT NO ONE CROSSED THE MEDIANS. AND FOR LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS, THESE CROWDS ARE EXPECTED TO BRING QUITE THE BOOST. I’M ABSOLUTELY EXCITED. IT BRINGS A LOT OF TOURISTS TO TOWN WHEN THE LAUNCHES GO UP. IT’S DEFINITELY HUGE FOR LOCAL RESTAURANTS IN TITUSVILLE AND WESH TWO EVEN CAME ACROSS A FEW SCHOOL GROUPS HOPING TO WITNESS THE HISTORIC MISSION LIFTOFF. I GREW UP WITH THE SHUTTLE PROGRAM. I WAS SO SAD WHEN IT FINALLY GOT SHUT DOWN. AND SO JUST BEING ABLE TO REVISE THAT AND WATCH THIS EXCITEMENT, IT’S SO GREAT TO SEE AGAIN. I’M VERY EXCITED. IT’S FUN. IT’S NICE TO TRY NEW THINGS. WELL, IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO WATCH TONIGHT’S LAUNCH, TITUSVILLE IS GOING TO BE YOUR BEST BET. TAKE A LOOK AT THIS MAP. VERY HELPFUL FOR THE LAUNCH VIEWING SITES. THERE ARE SEVERAL PARKS RIGHT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MAX BREWER BRIDGE, INCLUDING SAND POINT, SPACE VIEW AND SCOBY. NOW, SOME PEOPLE MAY WATCH FROM THE BRIDGE ITSELF OR PARISH PARK. AND THEN FURTHER DOWN THE COAST YOU HAVE WILLIAM J. MANSELL MEMORIAL PARK, ROTARY RIVERFRONT PARK AND ALSO KENNEDY POINT PARK. YOU’VE GOT A FEW OPTIONS, AND WE’VE GOT THAT FULL LIST OF VIEWING SITES FOR YOU OVER ON WESH.COM NANCY. OVER TO YOU. ALL RIGHT, MAYOR? WELL, OUR LOCAL LAWMAKERS ARE GEARING UP TO WATCH THE LAUNCH AS WELL. SENATOR ASHLEY MOODY POSTING ON X AS SENATOR FOR THE SPACE STATE. I’M INCREDIBLY PROUD TO SEE FLORIDA CONTINUE TO LEAD OUR COUNTRY FORWARD. WE CANNOT AFFORD TO FALL BEHIND IN THE MODERN DAY SPACE RACE. SENATOR RICK SCOTT WISHING THE BEST OF LUCK TO THE CREW AND TEAM, SAYING HE’S PROUD AND LOCKHEED MARTIN IS READY FOR LIFTOFF. THEY SHARED THIS GORGEOUS PICTURE OF THE ARTEMIS TWO ROCKETS LAST NIGHT, SAYING GOOD NIGHT ARTEMIS. GOOD NIGHT MOON. WE’LL SEE YOU TOMORROW. AND OF COURSE, WE CAN’T IGNORE THE DATE THIS LAUNCH IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING TO FALL ON. YEAH, IT’S APRIL 1ST. YOU KNOW, APRIL FOOL’S DAY. IT’S A DAY KNOWN FOR PRANKS. AND NASA ASTRONAUTS HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO PRANK EACH OTHER IN THE PAST. IN FACT, THAT WAS ACTUALLY BROUGHT UP DURING YESTERDAY’S NASA BRIEFING. YOU KNOW, THERE’S A LONG HISTORY DATING BACK TO THE APOLLO ERA GUYS OF PULLING PRANKS ON LAUNCH DAY WITH THE WITH THE LAUNCH TEAM AND WITH THE LAUNCH TEAM PULLING PRANKS ON THE ON THE FLIGHT CREW. AND GIVEN THAT TOMORROW IS APRIL 1ST, I WAS WONDERING IF MAYBE WITHOUT SPOILING ANYTHING, IF THERE’S BEEN ANY TALK ABOUT THAT OR WHETHER THERE’S ACTUALLY BEEN A DECISION TO NOT DO THAT AND STAY AWAY FROM THAT. SO I AM NOT AWARE OF ANY ANY PRANKS THAT ANYBODY INTENDS TO PULL ON THE ON THE FLIGHT CREW OR IN THE THE LAUNCH TEAM ITSELF. AND THIS MORNING WE DO HAVE SOME TRAFFIC WARNINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT. LET’S START IN TITUSVILLE. THE MAX BREWER BRIDGE MAY CLOSE IF CROWDS GET TOO BIG AND WILL REOPEN AFTER THE LAUNCH. BUT IF YOU ARE WATCHING FROM THE BRIDGE, HEAD NORTH ON U.S. ONE TO MIMS AFTER THE LAUNCH. THE SAME GOES IF YOU ARE ANYWHERE NORTH OF HARRISON STREET, SOUTH OF HARRISON STREET, YOU’LL GO DOWN U.S. ONE TO COCO, THEN HOP ON THE 528. ALSO, THERE ARE NO U-TURNS ALLOWED ON STATE ROAD 528 OR GEORGE KING BOULEVARD AFTER THE LAUNCH ON THE A1A IN COCOA BEACH, YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO TURN LEFT ONTO WESTBOUND STATE ROAD 520 AND IN MERRITT ISLAND, SEVERAL ROADS AROUND THE ISLAND. NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE ARE CLOSED TODAY. NOW WE KNOW THIS IS A LOT OF INFORMATION, BUT WE HAVE A BREAKDOWN OF THE TRAFFIC PLANS ON OUR WEBSITE. YOU CAN GO CHECK IT OUT RIGHT NOW. JUST HEAD TO WESH.COM. IF THE MISSION IS SCRUBBED TODAY, THERE ARE MORE LAUNCH OPPORTUNITIES EVERY DAY THROUGH APRIL 6TH. THEY ARE ALL EVENING LAUNCH WINDOWS. IF IT DOESN’T GO UP BY MONDAY NIGHT, THEN THE NEXT CHANCE WOULDN’T BE UNTIL THE END OF THIS MONTH. WESH TWO WILL HAVE LIVE TEAM COVERAGE OF THE ARTEMIS LAUNCH ALL DAY LONG. OUR CONTINUOUS COVERAGE WILL START AT 3 P.M. AND CONTINUE UNTIL THE ROCKET IS SAFELY IN ORBIT, AND AT 530 YOU WANT TO TUNE IN FOR THIS, WE HAVE A SPECIAL WESH TWO CHRONICLE. RETURN T