Countdown begins for Artemis 2 launch: How to watch Live
NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida is all set to launch Artemis 2 - the American space agency’s first Moon Mission since 1972, Wednesday April 01, 2026.
NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida is all set to launch Artemis 2 - the American space agency’s first Moon Mission since 1972, Wednesday April 01, 2026.
Artemis II is the first crewed launch of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft.
Artemis II Launch Date, Time
The onsite countdown clock started ticking down at 4:44 p.m. EDT to a targeted launch time of 6:24 p.m. on Wednesday, April 1.
With the countdown officially underway, engineers are powering up flight hardware, checking communication links, and preparing the rocket’s cryogenic systems for the precise fueling sequence required to load hundreds of thousands of gallons of super-cooled liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, NASA said.
At Launch Pad 39B, teams will begin filling the sound suppression system’s massive tank with water, which will unleash a protective deluge at liftoff to shield the vehicle from the roar of its own engines.
The lifting off time from Florida is between 5:24 PM and 7:24 PM CDT, around 3:54 AM Indian Standard Time on April 02, 2026.
Artemis II Crew
The Artemis II crew, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, had arrived at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 27, 2026.
They are currently staying in the Astronaut Crew Quarters inside NASA Kennedy’s Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building.
The crewmates have spent the final countdown phase focused on readiness and technical verification, remaining in quarantine under strict health monitoring and completing medical checks to ensure fitness for launch.
They have been following a controlled sleep schedule and nutrition plan to maintain energy and hydration for launch, while continuing to receive regular updates on the rocket’s configuration and weather conditions from crew quarters, NASA said.
Will artemis 2 astronauts land on Moon?
The quartet are poised to launch aboard NASA's Space Launch System rocket (SLS) as soon as April 1, and will fly the agency's Orion spacecraft on a 10-day mission around the moon and back to Earth. It's the first crewed mission of NASA's Artemis program to establish a sustained human presence on the moon, and the first to launch astronauts there since Apollo 17, in 1972.
It must be noted that the four astronauts onboard the Artemis II will not land on the Moon unlike the first manned Moon Mission Apollo.
The 2026 mission is a 10-day crewed flyby test flight that will orbit the Moon and return to Earth to verify the Orion spacecraft's life support systems are safe for future lunar surface missions, according to Space.com.
Yet, their journey through the space could send the group farther from Earth than any human has ever ventured, surpassing the Apollo 13 distance record of 248,655 miles set in 1970.
Artemis II is a crucial step to prove that the crew can safely travel to the moon, ensuring the systems are ready for future moon landings, possibly in the next two years.
How to watch Artemis 2 launch
A large number of people are flying to Florida to watch live the historic Artemis II launch Wednesday April 01, 2026.
Those who are away can watch the live coverage of Artemis Moon Mission launch via NASA official portal "https://www.nasa.gov".
Besides, NASA will also post launch updates through its various social media channels; typically, the agency's X account is the fastest real-time update option if you're on the road. The tourism office will also send out updates through its Space Coast Launches App, available both on Apple and Google.
NASA had earlier confirmed the launch date after completing the latest round of repairs, the Associated Press reported. The 322-foot (98-meter) Artemis II rocket will rollout of the hangar and back to the pad next week at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center, leading to a launch attempt as early as April 1, 2026, marking first human trip to Moon in more than 50 years, the agency had reported.
The humanity's first Moon Mission was when the United States on July 20, 1969 announced the success of its Apollo 11 Moon Mission, declaring Neil Armstrong and Lunar Module Pilot Buzz Aldrin are the first to land on the lunar surface.
NASA had announced its plan to land the first woman, first person of color, and its first international partner astronaut on the Moon under the agency's Artemis campaign.
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