What time is the NASA Artemis II mission launch? How to stream the liftoff online
If all goes as planned, humans will be going back to the Moon for the first time in over 50 years as part of NASA’s Artemis II mission.
It’s been more than five decades since the last astronauts went to the Moon. The last humans to set foot on the lunar surface were Harrison Schmitt and Eugene Cernan in December 1972 as part of the Apollo 17 mission. While they were on the surface Ronald Evans manned the command module orbiting above.
On Wednesday, April 1, 2026, NASA plans to send the first group of astronauts back to the Moon to pick up where Apollo 17 left off. The four members of the Artemis II mission will not set foot on the surface. Instead, they will do a flyby of the Moon to “test deep space systems and pave the way for future Moon landings.”
The U.S. space agency is targeting 2028 to put boots on the lunar surface. “This time the goal is not flags and footprints, this time the goal is to stay,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman at a press conference last week laying out the agency’s plans for the coming years. “America will never again give up the Moon.”
When is the Artemis II launch?
If everything goes according to plan, the launch window will begin on April 1 at 6:24 p.m. in Florida. “The weather forecast for launch day shows an 80% chance of favorable weather conditions with primary concerns being cloud coverage and the potential for high winds in the area,” states NASA.
Should weather conditions or technical issues throw a wrench in the works the space agency has laid out alternative dates this month including the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 30th as possible launch dates.
How to watch the Artemis II mission launch live
You can follow it on the official NASA website and on their YouTube channel. The live stream will begin at 7:45 AM ET on April 1, with audio commentary and live shots as tanking operations are carried out. Full coverage will begin April 1 at 12:50 PM ET on NASA+.
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