National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationSpace Launch System Block 1Launch Complex 39B, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
SLS Block 1 | Artemis II
Countdown
No countdown — this launch time is not yet known to the minute.April 1, 2026 · 22:35 UTCAdd to calendar

Image: NASA/Joel Kowsky
National Aeronautics and Space Administration's 142nd launch · 1st this year · humanity's 7,246th orbital launch attempt
The launch vehicle successfully inserted its payload(s) into the target orbit(s).
Weather concerns: Cumulus Cloud Rule, Ground Winds
Window: Apr 1, 22:24 – Apr 2, 00:24 UTC
Flight preview
Artemis II
Artemis II is the first crewed mission as part of the Artemis program. Artemis II will send a crew of 4 - 3 Americans and 1 Canadian around the moon and return them back to Earth. The mission will test the core systems of NASA's Orion spacecraft including the critical life support system, among other systems which could not be tested during Artemis I due to the lack of crew onboard.
Human Exploration · Lunar flyby (Lunar flyby)
Crew
Jeremy HansenMission Specialist · CSA
Gregory R. WisemanSpacecraft Commander · NASA
Victor J. GloverPilot · NASA
Christina KochMission Specialist · NASA
Booster
No booster details available.
Watch
Flight timeline
- -P2DT1H50MLaunch Team On Stations
- -P2DT1H40MCountdown Start
- -P2DT1H40MProp Load Preparations
- -P1DT21H30MOrion Power On
- -P1DT18H20MCore Stage Power On
- -P1DT18H10MICPS Power On
- -P1DT15H45MRS-25 Preparations
- -P1DT11H45MICPS Power Off
- -P1DT9H30MOrion Batteries Charging
- -P1DT7H30MCore Stage Batteries Charging
- T−20H15MICPS Power On
- T−15HPad Closeout
- T−14H15MRocket Cavity Inerting
- T−13H15MGLS Activation
- T−12H35MBuilt-In Hold
- T−10H50MGO for Prop Load
- T−10H50MOrion Cold Soak
- T−10H40MCore Stage LH2 Chill
- T−10H40MCore Stage LOX Transfer Chill
- T−10H25MCore Stage LOX Prop Chill
- T−9H55MCore Stage LH2 Slow Fill
- T−9H50MResume T-Clock
- T−9H40MCore Stage LOX Slow Fill
- T−9H30MCore Stage LOX Fast Fill
- T−9H25MCore Stage LH2 Fast Fill
- T−9H5MICPS LH2 Chill
- T−8H30MICPS LH2 Fast Fill
- T−8HCore Stage LH2 Topping
- T−7H55MCore Stage LH2 Replenish
- T−7H45MICPS LH2 Vent & Relief Test
- T−7H20MICPS LH2 Topping
- T−7H5MICPS LH2 Replenish
- T−6H40MOrion Comms On
- T−6H40MCore Stage LOX Topping
- T−6H40MICPS LOX Prop Chill
- T−6H30MICPS LOX Fast Fill
- T−6H10MCloseout Crew Assemble
- T−6H10MStage Pad Rescue
- T−6H5MCore Stage LOX Replenish
- T−6HWeather Check
- T−5H45MICPS LOX Vent & Relief Test
- T−5H30MICPS LOX Topping
- T−5H10MICPS LOX Replenish
- T−5H10MBuilt-In Hold
- T−5H10MAll Stages Replenish
- T−5H10MCloseout Crew To White Room
- T−4H40MFlight Crew To Pad
- T−4HOrion Boarding
- T−3H40MHatch Closure
- T−3H10MHatch Seal Checks
- T−2H20MHatch Closeouts
- T−1H40MLAS Hatch Closure
- T−1H10MTPS Scan
- T−50MPad Clear
- T−50MTest Director Briefing
- T−40MBuilt-In Hold
- T−25MOrion Comms Transition
- T−17MReady Poll
- T−15MVisors Down
- T−14MShort Purge
- T−10MTerminal Count
- T−8MCrew Access Arm Retract
- T−6MTank Press
- T−6MOrion Pyros Arm
- T−6MOrion Internal Power
- T−5M57SCore Stage LH2 Replenish End
- T−5M20SLAS Available
- T−4M40SLH2 High Flow Bleed Check
- T−4M30SFTS Arm
- T−4MCore Stage APU Start
- T−4MCore Stage LOX Replenish End
- T−3M30SICPS LOX Replenish End
- T−3M10SPurge Sequence 4
- T−2M2SICPS Internal Power
- T−2MBooster Internal Power
- T−1M30SCore Stage Internal Power
- T−1M20SICPS Terminal Count
- T−50SICPS LH2 Replenish End
- T−33SGO for Launch
- T−30SCore Stage Terminal Count
- T−12SHydrogen Burnoff Igniters
- T−10SCore Stage Engine Start
- T−6.36SIgnition
- T−0Liftoff
- T−0Booster Ignition
- T+9STower Clear
- T+56SSupersonic
- T+1M10SMax-Q
- T+2M8SSRB Separation
- T+3M18SLaunch Escape Jettison
- T+8M6SMECO
- T+8M18SStage 2 Separation
- T+8M28SICPS RL10 Nozzle Extension
- T+20MOrion Solar Arrays Deployment
- T+49MPerigee Raise Burn
- T+1H47M57SApogee Raise Burn
- T+3H24M15SOrion Separation
- T+4H35MProximity Operations End
- T+4H52MOrion Separation Burn
- T+5HICPS Disposal Burn
- T+5H4MCubeSats Deployment
- T+13H44MPerigee Raise Burn
- P1DT1H37MTranslunar Injection Burn
- P1DT23H25MOrbital Trajectory Correction Burn
- P2DT7MOrbital Trajectory Correction Burn
- P2DT2H5MCrew CPR Demo
- P2DT5H25MDSN Comms Test
- P3DT12MOrbital Trajectory Correction Burn
- P3DT3H40MLunar Flyby Imaging Plan Review
- P3DT5H45MLunar Flyby Imaging Plan Review
- P3DT20H30MSpacesuits Demo
- P4DT5H23MOrbital Trajectory Correction Burn
- P4DT6H59MOrion Enters Lunar SOI
- P4DT22HLunar Flyby
- P5DT1H23MLunar Closest Approach
- P5DT1H26MMax Distance To Earth
- P5DT19H47MOrion Exits Lunar SOI
- P5DT21H10MLunar Flyby Debrief
- P6DT4H23MOrbital Trajectory Correction Burn
- P7DT1H50MRadiation Shielding Demo
- P7DT4H20MManual Piloting Demo
- P7DT23H15MOrthostatic Intolerance Garment Test
- P8DT2H10MOrthostatic Intolerance Garment Test
- P8DT4H33MOrbital Trajectory Correction Burn
- P8DT20H33MOrbital Trajectory Correction Burn
- P8DT22H30MCrew Entry Preparations
- P9DT1H13MOrion Service Module Jettison
- P9DT1H16MOrion Raise Burn
- P9DT1H33MAtmospheric Entry
- P9DT1H46MOrion Splashdown
- P9DT1H53MOrion RCS Safing
- P9DT2H1MOrion Power Off
Updates
Launch success with Orion separation.
Cosmic_Penguin · 4/2/2026 · source
Liftoff.
Cosmic_Penguin · 4/1/2026 · source
New T-0.
Cosmic_Penguin · 4/1/2026 · source
Extending hold at T-10 minutes.
Cosmic_Penguin · 4/1/2026 · source
Updated launch weather.
Cosmic_Penguin · 4/1/2026 · source
Official Webcast by NASA has started
LL2 · 4/1/2026 · source
Updated launch weather.
Cosmic_Penguin · 4/1/2026 · source
T-0 is accurate to the second.
Cosmic_Penguin · 3/30/2026 · source
Updated launch weather, 80% GO.
Cosmic_Penguin · 3/29/2026 · source
Targeting April 1st.
Cosmic_Penguin · 3/12/2026 · source
News

It turns out that Orion's much-maligned heat shield performed really well
Independent safety officials also have high praise for changes by NASA leadership.

NASA’s Artemis II Crew Receives Congressional Space Medal of Honor
From left to right: NASA astronauts Victor Glover and Christina Koch, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, and NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman receive the Congressional Space Medal of Honor from President Donald J. Trump on Aug. 28, 2026, for their service during the Artemis II mission. The Congressional Space Medal of Honor was authorized […]

Trump Honors Artemis II Crew, Signs Executive Order to Establish a U.S. Space Academy
President Trump signed an Executive Order today during a ceremony honoring the Artemis II crew that will create a NASA-led U.S. Space Academy to “encourage and guide” students to pursue […]

President Honors NASA’s Artemis II Crew with Highest US Space Award
President Donald J. Trump awarded NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen with the Congressional Space Medal of Honor Friday for their service during the Artemis II mission. He presented the awards during a ceremony at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, honoring the first […]

NASA’s Artemis II Crew Set to Receive Congressional Space Medal of Honor
President Donald J. Trump will award each of NASA’s Artemis II crew members the Congressional Space Medal of Honor at 11 a.m. EDT on Friday, Aug. 28, during a ceremony at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, […]

Artemis 2 astronaut advocates for equatorial lunar landings
The pilot of Artemis 2 says NASA’s return to the moon should start with human landings in less challenging equatorial regions rather than go directly to the south pole.
Pad — Launch Complex 39B
Local pad time: Apr 1, 6:35 PM EDT
59 launches from this pad · 282 from Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
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