Friends of NASA: April 2026

Wednesday, April 01, 2026

NASA Artemis II Moon Rocket Preflight at Sunset | Kennedy Space Center

NASA Artemis II Moon Rocket Preflight at Sunset | Kennedy Space Center

NASA’s Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft are seen at sunset at Launch Complex 39B, Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Artemis II test flight will take Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency, around the Moon and back to Earth with launch opportunities beginning in April 2026.

The Artemis II Moon crewed 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.

Image Credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani/Joel Kowsky
Release Date: March 31, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisII #OrionSpacecraft #SLS #CrewedMissions #Astronauts #ReidWiseman #VictorGlover #ChristinaKoch #JeremyHansen #DeepSpace #MoonToMars #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #NASAKennedy #KSC #MerrittIsland #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

NASA Artemis II Orion Crew Spacecraft Wallpapers | Lockheed Martin Space

NASA Artemis II Orion Crew Spacecraft Wallpapers | Lockheed Martin Space

NASA’s Orion spacecraft is designed to carry astronauts to the Moon. Launching atop NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, Orion will sustain the crews on Artemis missions to the Moon and return them safely to Earth. Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor building Orion spacecraft.

Celebrate Artemis II with Orion wallpapers!

Ready your phone before liftoff.

Free Download (6MB ZIP file) here:

https://lockheedmartin.com/content/dam/lockheed-martin/space/documents/orion/Artemis%20II%20Phone%20Wallpapers.zip

Learn more about NASA's Orion Spacecraft:

https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/orion-spacecraft/
https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/products/orion.html