Nell Greenfield Boyce

And it's starting to feel real.

Everybody's like...

milling around.

The press center is really crowded.

And so I would say there's an air of hopeful anticipation.

So I am not aware of any pranks that anybody intends to pull on the flight crew or in the launch team itself.

So I think I'll just leave it at that.

NASA Test Director Jeff Spaulding told reporters that launch preparations have been going well at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Someone asked him about the fact that it's April Fool's Day because there's a long history of astronauts playing practical jokes.

He said he hoped everyone would stay focused on the launch.

It will happen no earlier than 6.24 p.m.

Eastern time.

If bad weather or a technical glitch forces a delay, there should be additional launch opportunities through April 6th.

Nell Greenfield-Boyce, NPR News.

We leave as we came, with peace and hope.

Yeah, they have us out here at the press center, which is a ways from the rocket.

So I can see it, but it looks tiny out there.

I mean, in reality, it's 322 feet tall, but it's this, you know, orange and white rocket.

And from where I am, I can see it along with the big countdown clock, you know, which is under this American flag.

And you've got all the press trucks set up everywhere.