Artemis II Launch Live: Follow NASA’s First Crewed Mission Around the Moon

NASA is preparing for a historic milestone with Artemis II, the first crewed mission of the Artemis program. Following the success of the uncrewed Artemis I flight, this mission will send astronauts around the Moon for the first time in over 50 years.

👉 On this page, you’ll find everything you need to follow the launch live, including streaming links and mission details.

Watch the Artemis II Launch Live

The Artemis II launch is currently scheduled for April 1–2, 2026 (overnight) from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

👉 Liftoff is planned for:

• 8:38 PM EDT (April 1)
• 2:38 AM CEST (April 2)

Launch timing may change depending on weather and technical conditions.

NASA’s official live stream

Live Views from Orion Spacecraft

In addition to NASA’s official broadcast, a dedicated stream will provide live views from the Orion spacecraft during the mission.

👉 This unique feed will show real-time images from space, without commentary, offering a direct perspective of the journey around the Moon. Please note that interruptions may occur due to signal loss or bandwidth limitations, and the screen may appear dark when the spacecraft is in shadow.

Artemis II Crew

The mission will carry four astronauts:

• Reid Wiseman (NASA), Commander
• Victor Glover (NASA), Pilot
• Christina Koch (NASA), Mission Specialist
• Jeremy Hansen (Canadian Space Agency), Mission Specialist

👉 Jeremy Hansen will become the first non-American astronaut to travel around the Moon, marking a major milestone in international space cooperation.

A Mission Around the Moon

Unlike future landing missions, Artemis II will not land on the Moon.

The Orion spacecraft will perform a flyby around the Moon before returning to Earth. The mission is expected to last about 10 days and will test all critical systems in deep space conditions.

The SLS Rocket: NASA’s Most Powerful Launcher

Artemis II will launch aboard NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS), the most powerful rocket ever built.

Standing nearly 100 meters tall, SLS is designed to send astronauts beyond low Earth orbit, paving the way for future missions to the Moon and Mars.

A Critical Step Toward Lunar Return

Artemis II will validate key systems, including:

• life support systems for the crew
• deep-space communications
• spacecraft performance with astronauts onboard
• high-speed reentry into Earth’s atmosphere

👉 These tests are essential before future lunar landing missions.

Source

The NASA website with all the details about the Artemis 2 mission is here.