NASA Artemis II launch countdown begins. Historic Moon mission set for April 1 lift-off; check timing, crew, live stream details. Photo: Gemini.
NASA’s Artemis II is all set to launch. The countdown for the test flight has officially begun at the Kennedy Space Center. The mission is a part of the broader Artemis program and is a step in the United States’ return to human lunar exploration. The mission aims to land astronauts near the Moon’s south pole.
The US is preparing for a major lunar exploration nearly five decades after the historic Apollo program. The mission will make history by sending the first woman, the first person of color, and the first non-American astronaut on a journey around the Moon.
NASA has scheduled the launch of Artemis II for 6:24 pm on Wednesday, April 1, which corresponds to 3:54 am IST on April 2, 2026.
The mission will lift off from Florida aboard NASA’s powerful Space Launch System (SLS), carrying the Orion spacecraft designed for deep-space exploration.
Viewers can follow the mission through live coverage provided by NASA across multiple platforms.
Coverage will begin at 7:45 am EDT on April 1 (5:15 pm IST) on NASA’s official YouTube channel, when teams begin loading propellant into the SLS rocket.
Meanwhile, full launch coverage is scheduled to start at 12:50 pm EDT (10:20 pm IST) on NASA+, as well as on Amazon Prime and YouTube.
Artemis II will mark the first crewed launch of NASA’s SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft. During the roughly 10-day mission, astronauts will conduct key tests of the spacecraft systems that will support future lunar missions.
The mission will also include a flyby around the Moon, after which the spacecraft will return safely to Earth.
Data gathered during this mission will help prepare for Artemis IV, a planned lunar landing mission targeted for 2028.
NASA has selected four astronauts for the mission — three from the United States and one from Canada.
The crew members include:
Reid Wiseman – Artemis II Commander
Victor Glover – Artemis II Pilot
Christina Koch – Mission Specialist
Jeremy Hansen – Mission Specialist representing the Canadian Space Agency
The mission will take the crew on a lunar flyby, testing the systems required for future Moon landings under the Artemis program.
NASA has indicated there is an 80% chance of favorable weather conditions for the launch. However, mission teams remain cautious due to potential concerns including cumulus clouds, ground winds, and solar weather.
These factors will continue to be monitored closely as launch preparations progress.
Ahead of the launch, Jared Isaacman shared a message on X highlighting the historic significance of the mission.
“Tomorrow, we launch. At sunset tonight, Artemis II waits on the pad, ready to carry astronauts potentially farther than any humans have traveled in more than half a century. The next era of exploration begins.”
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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