Watch Artemis II Live: When is NASA’s Historic Moon Launch?

April 2, 2026 at 8:15 a.m. PT

Astronauts: They are like us. Sometimes their email client has issues.

More than 36,000 miles from the planet’s surface, Commander Reid Wiseman’s Microsoft Outlook stopped working. He reported it while they were troubleshooting other software.

“I also see that I have two Microsoft Outlooks and neither of them work if you want to access remotely,” Wiseman said.

About an hour later, after checking any good corporate tech support remotely, Houston said things were working again: “For Outlook, we were able to open it. It will show “offline”, which is expected.

On NASA’s live video feed of the Artemis II mission, the Orion capsule is seen against the backdrop of Earth, with Australia visible.

If you want to talk about team efforts, look at spaceflight. Thousands of people help rockets reach space and, with Artemis II, send astronauts to the Moon. This also extends to the support of those gathered for the launches.

Shortly before the launch, AT&T provided details on how its PremierNet resources are deployed to support the launch. FirstNet, the First Responder Network Authority, is the company’s emergency response and public safety program that is a private/public partnership between AT&T and the U.S. government.

(Warning, acronyms ahead, but that’s no surprise when working with the space industry.)

For the Artemis II mission, AT&T coordinated with NASA’s Protective Services and Emergency Management Operations to maintain reliable communications across the Kennedy Space Center. He deployed a SatCOLT (Satellite Cell on Light Truck) and a CRD (Compact Rapid Deployable) to keep NASA’s public safety teams connected.

It also introduced an LCT (LEO Cell Trailer) for temporary high-speed cellular service and activated a Cell Booster Pro at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex for indoor phone and data service.

Finally, the NASA Kennedy press site had a Connect and Care NDR (Network Disaster Recovery) trailer parked for attendees to charge their devices. Since the rocket took off on time, it may not have seen much use, but space launches are often delayed for technical and weather reasons, so it was prepared for an extended launch window.

We have reached another key moment of the Artemis II mission: the deployment of the solar panel wings.

The Orion spacecraft was launched, taking astronauts Victor Glover, Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen and Reid Wiseman into space on the historic 10-day Artemis II mission to the moon.

Takeoff took place at 6:35 p.m. ET / 3:35 p.m. ET.

NASA has removed the crew access arm from the Artemis II rocket.

The Orion was cleared for launch today, with the new launch time set for 6:35 p.m. ET / 3:33 p.m. PT (and 12 seconds).

The Artemis II liftoff countdown has now resumed after a planned wait and check after 10 minutes. The mission is officially at terminal count and the automated ground launch sequencer hardware has begun operating.

The countdown for Artemis II’s takeoff is set at 10 minutes. Once the countdown resumes, the mission will be in terminal countdown.

NASA’s Artemis II launch countdown has officially passed 30 minutes until liftoff.

A live stream from the Orion spacecraft will begin around 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT, or once launch is complete. The stream will air as Artemis II begins its ascent into space, with “live views of Artemis II’s Orion spacecraft, without commentary, as it completes its journey around the moon.” The stream will end just before Orion splashes down in the Pacific Ocean at the end of the mission.

If there is a signal loss or lack of bandwidth during the mission, you will see a blue screen. If it’s dark, you’ll see what looks like a black screen.

To stay informed of what happened during At night or while you’re at work, you can read NASA’s live blog for all the updates from the Artemis II mission. We will also continue to update key mission milestones on CNET.

Astronauts eat: These days, it’s not just Tang and Space Food Sticks. NASA has shared a sneak peek of the Artemis II astronaut menu, and it doesn’t look bad at all.

The Artemis II crew will enjoy more than 10 types of drinks, including coffee, mango-peach smoothies, green tea, apple cider, lemonade, pineapple drink, cocoa and breakfast drinks flavored with a choice of chocolate, vanilla or strawberry.

The most common foods they will eat include tortillas, wheat flatbread, vegetable quiche, grilled brisket, mango salad, blueberry granola, mac and cheese, tropical fruit salad, couscous with walnuts, broccoli au gratin, spicy green beans, almonds, cashews and butternu. t squash the cauliflower.

NASA also reports that astronauts can choose to spice up their meals: five different hot sauces are offered to the crew. And culinary flavors available include maple syrup, chocolate spread, peanut butter, spicy mustard, strawberry jam, honey, cinnamon and almond butter. Sweet treats include cookies, chocolate, pudding, cakes, candy-covered almonds, and cobbler.

And no, they don’t take a flavored pill or suck a sandwich out of a tube, like the old sci-fi shows told us.

“Food on board Orion is ready-to-eat, rehydratable, heat-stabilized or irradiated,” NASA specifies. “The crew uses Orion’s drinking water dispenser to rehydrate food and drinks, as well as a compact briefcase-style food warmer to reheat meals as needed.”

An issue was discovered with less than an hour until the launch window opens: one of the launch abort system’s two battery temperature sensors is “out of specification,” and NASA’s engineering team is currently troubleshooting to understand whether it is a sensor or battery issue. It is unclear whether this could delay or prevent the launch.

The chances of launch have improved, however, with NASA now predicting a 90% launch probability, up from 80% previously reported.

With just over an hour until the launch window opened, the Orion spacecraft’s final hatch was sealed.

The range is clear for the launch and the sun is breaking through the clouds after some rain, according to the NASA livestream. Again, the two hour window starts at 6:24 p.m. ET / 3:24 p.m. PT.

The Artemis II mission is the first time humans have traveled to the Moon since the 1970s. Additionally, Victor Glover will be the first Black person to travel to the Moon; Christina Koch will be the first woman; and Jeremy Hansen will be the first Canadian.

Astronauts will not disembark from the spacecraft and set foot on the Moon. Instead, this mission will travel around the Moon, including to the far side, where no crewed mission has been flown before.

NASA wants to send humans to the Moon by 2028:

• Artemis II: Scheduled for launch today, April 1, it will send astronauts around the Moon to perform tests.
• Artemis III: Scheduled to launch in mid-2027, it will perform additional tests, connect to lunar landers in low Earth orbit and test equipment.
• Artemis IV: scheduled for launch in early 2028, it will bring humans back to the Moon for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972.
• Artemis V: Could launch in late 2028 or 2029 and intends to put humans back on the Moon.

As we approach 2.5 hours until the launch window opens, you can check out some of the National Geographic videos taken aboard Orion last year as part of a partnership with NASA. Some videos feature the spaceship’s toilets and sleeping quarters.

NASA and Nat Geo collaborated under a Space Act agreement to develop compact, lightweight audio-visual equipment for use inside Orion during the Artemis II mission.

On Orion, voice controls for all four crew members are currently complete and, even if rain showers pass through the Kennedy Space Center area, they should not pose a problem for the launch. According to AccuWeather, it is currently 75 degrees Fahrenheit and partly sunny on Merritt Island, Florida. AccuWeather predicts that conditions will be “likely dry for the Artemis II launch.”

People around the world are following preparations for the launch with interest, including members of the royal family. The British royal family’s Instagram account posted a message from Britain’s King Charles III on Wednesday, in which the king sent a congratulatory message to one of the astronauts.

The king’s message was sent to Canadian Space Agency mission specialist and astronaut Colonel Jeremy Hansen, the first Canadian to carry out a mission to the Moon. Canada is part of the British Commonwealth of Nations.

“As you embark on this momentous undertaking, I send you and your fellow crew members my most sincere best wishes,” the message read. “May the stars align in your favor and may your safe return inspire countless others to uphold the values ​​of sustainability, cooperation and wonder that the Astra Carta inspires.”

The mention of the Astra Carta refers to an initiative by Charles to inspire sustainability in the space industry.

The full message sent to Hansen is available on the royal family’s website.

The closing crew is now strapping NASA astronaut Commander Reid Wiseman and Canadian Mission Specialist II Jeremy Hansen into the Orion, while NASA Pilot Victor Glover and NASA Mission Specialist Christina Koch wait in the clean room to board. They have to strap the astronauts in pairs due to the extremely limited space on board; a technician in a suit had to kneel on the seat where Koch will sit in order to strap in Wiseman and Hansen.

Quick-release five-point harnesses are attached to the astronauts, as well as the crew fence connecting communications, air and water cooling cables.

Orion’s test driver has just completed a successful test with Hansen, making contact with the astronauts aboard the spacecraft. A successful communications check with Wiseman was then conducted.

With just 4 hours until the launch window opens, the crew is in the final stages before boarding the Orion spacecraft, crossing a 274-foot-high bridge to the entry point.

The crew member signed a wall with their patch on it at Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center, and NASA suit technicians fitted them with their caps, helmets and gloves in the clean room. The suits are flame-retardant and have built-in knee pads, as astronauts will have to crawl inside the spacecraft.

The astronauts boarded the Astrovan (a custom Airstream van built for NASA) to take them to the launch pad. The journey takes about 20 minutes, but to pass the time, the van is equipped with a video player and monitor. NASA’s official launch broadcast indicated that the Artemis II crew planned to watch Top Gun and Point Break aboard the Astrovan. It’s unclear how much of the film they’ll be able to watch, but the NASA show noted that Point Break was chosen because astronaut Christina Koch surfed.

Before the astronauts headed to the launch pad, they said goodbye to their families ahead of their 10-day mission. The Artemis II crew boarded the Astrovan, a modified Airstream van, which will transport them to the launch pad.

NASA is offering a handful of live feeds from different cameras for the launch in addition to the official broadcast. Live feeds are broadcast from the Kennedy Space Center, where the launch pad is located, and from the International Space Station, which are monitoring the situation from Earth orbit. The Artemis II mission is expected to travel 1,000 times further than the ISS, to the far side of the Moon. This will be the farthest distance a crewed mission has ever traveled – about 4,000 miles more than the Apollo 11 crew traveled.

With just under five hours until launch, the crew is currently in the combination room. On NASA’s live stream on YouTube, you can watch Reid Wiseman (the Commander), Victor Glover (the Pilot), Christina Koch (Mission Specialist), and Jeremy Hansen (Mission Specialist) suit up in their gear. The four astronauts wear bright orange spacesuits while other NASA employees attach equipment and technology to their suits.

The weather is favorable, although one of the display units aboard the spacecraft is cooler than usual. NASA cites an 80% probability of launch today. The space agency plans the launch near the start of its two-hour window, which opens at 6:24 p.m. ET / 3:24 p.m. PT.

Although the Artemis II mission does not involve landing astronauts on the surface of the Moon, it is important for many reasons.

Like Apollo 8, which allowed Neil Armstrong and the other Apollo 11 astronauts to become the first men to walk on the Moon, Artemis II is an integral part of NASA’s future missions. Artemis II is the first crewed mission in the series, which will test the Space Launch System rocket and its life support systems. Two more Artemis missions are planned and funded through 2028, with Artemis IV expected to send humans to the Moon.

The Artemis II crew also plans to go further into deep space than any previous mission. At the peak of its orbit, the rocket will be more than 4,700 miles from the far side of the Moon. As NASA and other space organizations focus on exploring deeper space and Mars, it is important to build and test technologies and equipment capable of supporting longer missions.

I will say up front that I am not an expert in aerospace engineering. If so, you might enjoy reading NASA’s official reference guide to the Artemis II rocket. Here are some quick highlights.

• The Artemis II rocket consists of a Space Launch System (SLS, the actual rocket) and an Orion spacecraft (the payload on top of the rocket, in which the astronauts will return).
• The SLS is the most powerful rocket ever built by NASA, producing 8.8 million pounds of thrust. It is equipped with two rocket boosters and is 98 meters (about 322 feet) tall. It’s just a little taller than the Statue of Liberty.
• The Orion spacecraft is wider and more spacious than the spacecraft used in the Apollo missions. Luckily for the astronauts, it also has new and improved toilets.
• Compared to the Saturn V rocket, the SLS is shorter but has more efficient and powerful engines. But the SLS weighs a maximum of 27 tons, while the Saturn V could handle heavier payloads. You can check out our full comparison of Artemis vs. Saturn V for more information.

I grew up watching the Apollo missions to the Moon. It was absolutely thrilling: every takeoff, every step on the lunar surface, every splashdown for the safe return to Earth. Then, suddenly, it was over, and more than 50 years had passed since humans made that epic journey so far from home. Today, the Artemis program has arrived to bring back that feeling of respect. Space travel has never been truly mundane, but after so many successful flights of space shuttles, Soyuzes and SpaceXs in orbit and long-term residencies at the International Space Station, it has become routine.

Artemis II is here to shake things up.

Which got me thinking about where this leaves us. The Apollo program was the culmination of the first space wave explorationan era of heroic achievements by scientists, engineers and astronauts. Artemis missions mark the start of a whole new space era exploitation. It won’t be long before we exploit the Moon’s natural resources and space mining becomes a career option. Elon Musk, rather than Neil Armstrong, may soon be the face of our lunar efforts. I hope the feeling of wonder and adventure stays with us.

The Artemis II crew (left to right): backup crew members Andre Douglas and Jenni Gibbons, then core crew members Pilot Victor Glover, Commander Reid Wiseman, and mission specialists Jeremy Hansen and Christina Koch. Hansen is the only Canadian among the American crew and will be the first of his compatriots to travel to the Moon.