The Artemis II Moon mission is scheduled to launch today, April 1st, at 6:42 PM ET. Though this is not a landing mission, it is historic as it marks the first time NASA is sending astronauts to the Moon since 1972.

NASA Artemis II Mission

The rocket and crew of four astronauts will lift off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, beginning a 10-day mission that will take them around the Moon and back to Earth. The mission will test life support and other systems of Orion, a space capsule that’s intended to be America’s transport for future lunar landing missions.

NASA plans for crews to use other spacecraft made by Blue Origin and SpaceX to land on the Moon as soon as 2028. This mission follows the first Artemis I mission, which flew around the Moon and back with no astronauts aboard in 2022. The ship’s crew includes Reid Wiseman, the mission’s commander; Victor Glover, its pilot; and Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen, the mission specialists.

Live Updates

NASA is streaming the mission on YouTube, X, its website, and other digital platforms. The firm is providing live launchpad views and updates regarding the filling of the rocket propellants. The flow of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen propellants to the rocket’s propellant tanks began around 8:40 AM ET.

Forecasters have predicted an 80 percent chance of favorable conditions during the two-hour launch window. This window allows for extra time in case of last-minute glitches or unanticipated weather conditions. If the launch is postponed, NASA has opportunities to launch through April 6, but after that, the firm would need to wait until after April 30.

If the mission launches on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, they will manage to set a record for the furthest anyone has ever been from the Earth at around 43,000 miles.