NASA’s Artemis II Launches Into Historic Mission Around The Moon [WATCH]
on Apr 01, 2026
Artemis II Launches Into Space
Four astronauts are set to make history Wednesday (April 1), as they prepare to journey around the moon.
Lifting off from Kennedy Space Center aboard NASA’s powerful Space Launch System rocket, the mission will carry four astronauts on a 9.5-day journey that will take them around the Moon and back to Earth. The crew is traveling inside the Orion spacecraft, designed for deep-space exploration.
Apollo 17 (launched in 1972) was the last manned mission around the moon. This trip is commanded by Reid Wiseman, and also includes Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen.
The crew includes the first woman and first Black astronaut to travel to deep lunar space, as well as the first Canadian astronaut assigned to a Moon mission.
RELATED: Artemis II Launch: How To Watch NASA’s Historic Event
What Does The Mission Entail?
Unlike future Artemis missions, Artemis II will not attempt a landing. Instead, it is designed as a test flight to evaluate critical systems and equipment, paving the way for future missions aimed at landing astronauts on the Moon as early as 2028.
The spacecraft will fly thousands of miles beyond the Moon before returning to Earth for a Pacific Ocean landing.
“The vehicle is ready. The system is ready. The crew is ready. And behind this flight stands a campaign: landings, a lunar base, a nuclear propulsion into deep space. That begins, not ends, with what happens on Wednesday,” NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya said prior to the launch. “I have complete confidence in this team and the NASA workforce.”
NASA reports that the crew has been quarantined in the Astronaut Crew Quarters at Kennedy Space Center. Each astronaut has maintained a controlled sleep schedule and nutrition plan to prepare for the historic launch. They’ve also undergone a series of medical tests to confirm their readiness for the mission.
Standing on the shoulders of giants.
— NASA Artemis (@NASAArtemis) March 31, 2026
As the Artemis II crew prepares for launch no earlier than April 1, they recently took a moment to pay homage to the Apollo 10 crew and the groundwork they laid for the Artemis II Moon mission. pic.twitter.com/uP8LpIDkcp
Artemis II Makes Its Historic Launch
Artemis II launched Wednesday at 6:35:12 p.m. Eastern Time. As the launch window opened, NASA flight controllers briefly paused the countdown to address minor technical issues, resuming it a few minutes later before liftoff.
“Engines, booster, ignition and lift off!” Derrol Nail, a broadcaster on NASA’s livestream, said as the rocket launched. “The crew of Artemis II now bound for the moon, humanity’s next great voyage begins.”
You can watch NASA’s livestream on their YouTube channel below.
