NASA Artemis II Moon Crewed Flight Test: How to Watch the Launch

NASA Artemis II Moon Crewed Flight Test: How to Watch the Launch

The Artemis II Moon test flight is set for launch no earlier than 6:24 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) Wednesday, April 1, 2026 with a two-hour launch window. Additional opportunities for launch run through Monday, April 6.

Teams at NASA's Kennedy Space Center are continuing final preparations for Artemis II with an 80% chance of favorable weather ahead of a launch as early as April 1.

NASA will provide live coverage of prelaunch, launch, splashdown, and other activities for the upcoming Artemis II crewed flight test around the Moon. NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen will test the Orion spacecraft’s life support systems for the first time with humans aboard, helping lay the groundwork for future crewed Artemis missions.

Watch agency launch, lunar flyby, and splashdown coverage on:

NASA+: https://plus.nasa.gov/scheduled-events/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nasa

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NASA/

X: https://x.com/nasa

Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/nasa

Check the NASA Artemis II Mission page for updates:

https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/

Artemis blog: https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/

Wednesday, April 1 Schedule

7:45 a.m.: Coverage of tanking operations to load propellant into the SLS rocket begins, including views of the rocket and audio from a commentator.

12:50 p.m.: NASA+ coverage of launch begins. Coverage continues on YouTube after Orion’s solar array wings deploy in space.

Approximately two-and-a-half hours after launch, NASA will hold a post-launch news conference after the SLS rocket’s upper stage performs a burn to send Orion and its crew to high Earth orbit. The start time is subject to change, based on the exact liftoff time.

Credit: NASA/Ashlee Elizabeth Nichols
Duration: 1 minute, 15 seconds
Release Date: March 31, 2026

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