NASA is preparing for a historic milestone as the agency targets no earlier than April 1 for the launch of the Artemis II mission, the first crewed flight of the Artemis program designed to return humans to deep space and eventually the Moon.
Credit: NASA
The launch is planned from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, with a two-hour launch window opening at 6:24 p.m. EDT. Additional launch opportunities will remain available through April 6 if needed.
First Crewed Mission of the Artemis Program
Artemis II will send four astronauts on an approximately 10-day journey around the Moon, marking the first time people travel beyond low-Earth orbit under NASA’s new lunar exploration program.
The crew includes:
- Reid Wiseman (NASA)
- Victor Glover (NASA)
- Christina Koch (NASA)
- Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency
During the mission, astronauts will travel aboard the Orion spacecraft, launched by the powerful Space Launch System.
A major objective of the flight is to test Orion’s life-support systems with astronauts on board for the first time, a key step toward future lunar missions.
Launch Coverage and Mission Streams
NASA will provide live coverage of launch and mission events online, including streams on the agency’s YouTube channel and other digital platforms.
Launch day coverage is scheduled to begin with:
- 7:45 a.m. EDT – Tanking operations coverage as propellant is loaded into the rocket
- 12:50 p.m. EDT – Full launch broadcast begins
After launch, NASA plans to hold a post-launch news conference roughly two-and-a-half hours later, once the rocket’s upper stage performs a burn to send Orion toward high Earth orbit.
Mission Updates During the Flight
Real-time mission updates will continue throughout the flight, including daily mission briefings from NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston beginning April 2.
The agency will also provide live views from the Orion spacecraft as bandwidth allows, along with astronaut conversations and mission updates published on the Artemis blog.
Building Toward Future Moon and Mars Missions
The Artemis program represents NASA’s long-term strategy for deep-space exploration. Following Artemis II, future missions aim to land astronauts on the Moon and use lunar missions to help prepare for human exploration of Mars.
NASA says Artemis will help enable scientific discovery, economic opportunities, and sustained human presence beyond Earth as part of a broader new era of space exploration.