Artemis II live updates: Window for launch opens today
Artemis II live updates: Window for launch opens today
MARY KEKATOSWed, April 1, 2026 at 10:00 AM UTC
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NASA's Artemis II mission is scheduled to launch on April 1 between 6:24 p.m. ET and 8:24 p.m. ET from Florida's Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39B.
The crew of four astronauts – mission commander Reid Weisman, mission pilot Victor J. Glover Jr., and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen – will board the Orion crew capsule, dubbed Integrity, atop the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for a more than 600,000-mile, 10-day journey around the moon to test critical spacecraft systems ahead of the Artemis IV mission, which is intended to land astronauts near the moon's South Pole, a region never explored by humans, in 2028.
At mission's end, Orion will splash down in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of San Diego, with recovery operations conducted by the U.S. Navy and NASA.
Follow live coverage of the Artemis II mission from pre-launch to splashdown and major milestones on ABC News Live and streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.
Latest Developments
Apr 1, 6:00 AMWatch Artemis II live at Kennedy Space Center
NASA is broadcasting a live feed of the Artemis II moon rocket from the Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, Florida. Teams are activating the ground launch sequencer, the computer that will initiate terminal count -- the final, automated 10 minutes of launch countdown -- which will tell the rocket when to lift off. Engineers are also initiating the air‑to‑gaseous nitrogen changeover inside the rocket's cavities. NASA says atmospheric air is replaced with inert nitrogen gas, which creates a stable environment before fueling operations. Watch the live feed here:
Apr 1, 6:00 AMWhat is the timeline of the Artemis II moon mission? The Artemis II moon mission will see four astronauts go on a 685,000-mile, 10-day journey around the moon. Here is what the timeline looks like: Day 1 is launch day. The astronauts lift off aboard NASA's newest spacecraft, Orion, which will sit atop the Space Launch System rocket. The spacecraft will reach initial orbit and then high-Earth orbit to make a push toward the moon. Days 2 through 4 are transit days, with the journey to the moon taking three days. Over the course of the journey, the crew will continue to evaluate Orion's systems and practice emergency procedures, in addition to other activities.
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Bill Ingalls/NASA/AFP via Getty Images - PHOTO: Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen stop for a group photo during a visit to NASA's Artemis II SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft, March 30, 2026, at Launch Complex 39B of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Fla.
On day 5, Orion will enter the lunar sphere of influence, meaning the moon is the main gravitational pull. On day 6, the crew will come its closest to the moon while traveling the farthest from Earth, according NASA. Days 7 through 10 will see the astronauts make their way back to Earth before re-entering Earth’s atmosphere at high speed, up to 25,000 miles per hour. The Orion spacecraft will deploy a series of parachutes once through the heat of re-entry to slow down and it will splash down in the Pacific Ocean The U.S. Navy will recover the capsule.-ABC News’ Mary Kekatos
Apr 1, 6:00 AMWho are the Artemis astronauts?
#Who are the Artemis astronauts? Three Americans and one Canadian will be aboard the Orion spacecraft -- named "Integrity" -- over the course of 10 days. The team consists of Victor Glover, Christina Hammock Koch and Reid Wiseman of NASA and Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency.
Bill Ingalls/NASA - PHOTO: NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen stop for a group photograph as they visit NASA's Artemis II SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft, March 30, 2026 at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Wiseman is the commander of the Artemis II mission, Glover is the mission pilot, and Koch and Hansen are mission specialists. Glover and Koch will also be the first person of color and first woman, respectively, to eventually step foot on the lunar surface in future Artemis missions. -ABC News' Julia Jacobo
Apr 1, 5:59 AMArtemis II scheduled to launch today
NASA's Artemis II mission is scheduled to launch today between 6:24 p.m. ET and 8:24 p.m. ET from Florida's Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39B.The crew of four astronauts – mission commander Reid Weisman, mission pilot Victor J. Glover Jr., and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen – will board the Orion crew capsule, dubbed Integrity, atop the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for a more than 600,000-mile, 10-day journey around the moon to test critical spacecraft systems ahead of the Artemis IV mission, which is intended to land astronauts near the moon's South Pole, a region never explored by humans, in 2028.
Bill Ingalls/NASA/AFP via Getty Images - PHOTO: Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen stop for a group photo during a visit to NASA's Artemis II SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft, March 30, 2026, at Launch Complex 39B of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Fla.
At mission's end, Orion will splash down in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of San Diego, with recovery operations conducted by the U.S. Navy and NASA.
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