'We go for all of humanity': Artemis II rocket lifts off to the moon — look back at our live coverage
The Artemis II crew have left Earth and are bound for the moon. Take a look back at our live blog's launch coverage from the days, hours and seconds until takeoff.
To the moon and back
Good morning, science fans. For the first time since 1972, the countdown clock at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida is now running down the hours, minutes and seconds until the liftoff of a crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit.
With a little more than a day remaining until NASA's Artemis II launch, the mission's four-astronaut crew said they're ready for their 685,000-mile (1.1 million kilometers) 10-day journey around the moon and back. They will be sent into space by a colossal, 322-foot-tall (98 meters) rocket stack — taller than the Statue of Liberty — which will provide over 8.8 million pounds (4 million kilograms) of thrust to a capsule the size of a campervan.
Live Science will be following every moment of this journey, providing you with updates, commentary, expert insight and exclusive coverage from the historic launch.
So let's strap in, quit mooning around, and get ready for humanity's return to our celestial neighbor.
A record-breaking return
It took a while to get here, but after repeated delays, NASA says the Artemis II mission is finally ready to launch. Besides being NASA's first step to a long-awaited return to the moon's surface, the mission is set to achieve a number of firsts: Its crew contains the first Black astronaut, the first woman, and the first non-American to visit the moon.
The crew will smash several longstanding records too. For example, they will return to Earth as the fastest humans in history, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean after reentering our planet's atmosphere at slightly over 25,000 mph (40,200 km/h), which would beat the 1969 reentry record currently held by the Apollo 10 astronauts.
And that's not all that's new or record-breaking about this flight. For more details, senior staff writer Harry Baker has the full story here.
The mission timeline
Hello, fellow Artemis enthusiasts! Senior staff writer Harry Baker here to tell you a little bit about the timeline for NASA's historic return trip to the moon (and back).
As soon as operators gave the green light for launch, the Artemis II mission officially began, and the launch team is already hard at work completing the long list of initial preflight checks. The quarantined astronauts are also making their final preparations before heading to the launch pad at Florida's Kennedy Space Center tomorrow (April 1).
We've broken down the 10-day mission into 12 key steps, covering everything from liftoff and low Earth orbit maneuvers to the lunar slingshot, record-breaking reentry to Earth's atmosphere and eventual splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
My personal favorite stage is "prox opps." This comes around 3.5 hours after launch and will see Artemis II's pilot Victor Glover briefly take control of the Orion spacecraft to test out its manual thrusters and maneuverability, providing crucial data for the upcoming Artemis III and Artemis IV missions.
You can read my full story here.
And be sure to bookmark this page so you can come back to it at any point over the next few weeks!
So why return to the moon, anyway?
This is the first time in more than 50 years that NASA is sending humans to the moon, having famously taken 12 astronauts to the lunar surface as part of the Apollo missions that ran between 1969 and 1972.
But that doesn't mean redoing something it achieved decades ago is straightforward. Space travel is a difficult endeavour that comes with substantial risks, and the moon remains a hard target even in 2026.
So why bother going back?
Artemis II is scheduled as a lunar flyby, so the astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft won't actually land on the lunar surface. However, if this 10-day flight around the moon and back to Earth is successful, then NASA will have tested systems ahead of the Artemis IV and Artemis V lunar surface mission planned for 2028, when NASA wants boots on the moon.
NASA aims to establish a sustained presence on the lunar surface and pave the way for future missions to Mars. That means Artemis II may end up being a key step on the road to humanity colonizing another planet.
Want to know more? You can read my analysis story here.
When were Americans last on the moon?
The last person to step foot on the moon was Gene Cernan, the commander of NASA's Apollo 17 mission. Cernan, the last of 12 humans to walk on the moon, left humanity's final bootprint on the lunar surface on December 14, 1972.
And while Artemis II does mark NASA's return to the moon, the mission more closely takes after Dec. 21, 1968's Apollo 8 mission, which sent three NASA astronauts on a six-day trip around the moon. Much like Artemis II, Apollo 8 was a key step in testing flight systems and trajectories before attempting a lunar landing.
Meet the Artemis II crew
NASA's Victor Glover, the mission's pilot, a California-native and former U.S. Navy captain, he has worked both as a test pilot and has flown combat missions in aircraft that include the F/A-18 Hornet.
Glover is the first Black astronaut to be assigned to a lunar mission. Glover caused a stir in 2023 when he revealed that he listened to Gil Scott-Heron's spoken-word poem "Whitey on the Moon" every Monday on his way to work.
"It's funny, because that Space Symposium caused me a lot of grief in the next months because people tried to quote me out of context," Glover told Space.com, Live Science's sister site. "And it ain't about racism. It's about the human condition."
NASA's Christina Koch, Artemis II's mission specialist, comes from Grand Rapids, Michigan. She holds several NASA records, including the longest single spaceflight by a woman (328 days). She also took part in the first all-female spacewalk with fellow astronaut Jessica Meir.
Koch's specialization is in designing and operating tools that can survive in extreme environments, and she has spent a winter season in Antarctica at the Amundsen-Scott South pole station.
The Canadian Space Agency's (CSA's) Jeremy Hansen, another mission specialist and former fighter pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force, Hansen's seat on the mission is part of a partnership between the CSA and NASA.
This will be Hansen's first ever spaceflight, but he has played critical roles in mission control for previous missions.
Watch NASA's prelaunch coverage today at 1 pm EDT
The conference will run through the launch's timeline and any final preparations NASA will make before ignition. We'll be sure to keep you up to date on all the announcements as they're made.
Artemis II is scheduled to launch Wednesday, April 1, with a two-hour window starting at 6:24 p.m. EDT.
Watch live: Artemis II prelaunch news conference starts now
Hey there, science fans. Live Science's space and physics editor Brandon Specktor here.
With fewer than 30 hours to go before the Artemis II mission's planned launch window opens, NASA officials are hosting a prelaunch news conference to share some final status updates. Watch it live right now.
Cloudy with a chance of solar flares
Would you go to the moon?
Artemis II's crew are bound for a historic flight to the moon as soon as tomorrow — but would you swap places with them? Let us know in the poll below.
Who are the two backup crewmembers for Artemis II?
In the photo above, all six Artemis II crewmembers stand ready for action in Florida.
You read that right: Besides the Artemis II mission's primary four-person crew, NASA has picked two alternate crewmembers as backups. These two astronauts have participated in astronaut training along with the main crewmembers and will take part in the closeout activities before the launch. But who are they?
The first alternate is NASA astronaut Andre Douglas. Douglas served in the U.S. Coast Guard as a naval architect, damage control assistant, salvage engineer and deck officer. When Douglas was selected as an astronaut, he was working at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab, where he researched space exploration and planetary defense, including NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission. Douglas also helped develop various spacecraft equipment, including a gamma-ray and neutron detector, MEGANE, which will help study Mars' moons Phobos and Deimos.
As an alternate, Douglas runs through the same training for the upcoming Artemis II mission as its selected astronauts.
While Douglas studies engineering to ensure mechanical systems are working properly, the mission’s other backup crewmember, Jenni Gibbons of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), looks at the exact opposite: how they explode. With a background in combustion science, Gibbons worked as an assistant professor at the University of Cambridge in 2016. In 2017, Gibbons was recruited by CSA as an astronaut candidate, graduated from astronaut training in 2020, and then led the Mission Control Capcom Console as International Space Station (ISS) lead capcom during Expedition 63 in 2020.
In the years that followed, Gibbons supported other space exploration endeavors, such as being a ground communicator for spacewalks that helped update the ISS' solar panels and mentoring the 2021 astronaut candidate class in their spacewalk training.
In 2023, CSA announced Gibbons as a backup member for astronaut Jeremy Hanson on the Artemis II mission.
Gibbons or Douglas will step in if, for any reason, one of the primary Artemis II crewmembers is unable to participate in the upcoming launch.
Full moonshot
If the Artemis II mission lifts off on schedule around 6:24 p.m. tomorrow, NASA's giant Space Launch System rocket will rise into the evening sky precisely as April's full moon starts to creep over the horizon.
April's full moon is nicknamed the Pink Moon, for obvious springtime reasons. It's this year's first full moon of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and determines the start of the Passover and Easter holidays. The moon will also look bright and full on Monday (March 31) and Thursday (April 2).
You don't need any special skywatching equipment to enjoy the full moon, but grabbing a good backyard telescope or strong pair of binoculars could help you zoom in on lunar features that the Artemis II crew will soon see rushing toward them — including famous craters, and even Apollo landing sites.
Someday, the Artemis IV mission — planned to launch in 2028 and return humans to the moon's surface for the first time since 1972 — may become another lunar landmark that generations of skywatchers can attempt to spot from Earth. But for now, the Artemis II crew will only be passing by, shooting just past the moon and using its gravity to swing back toward Earth for the fastest reentry in history.
You can try to spot the moonbound capsule soar through our atmosphere several hours after launch, courtesy of the Virtual Telescope project's live stream.
What do astronauts do the night before a big launch?
It's common to be nervous before a big event. In the case of NASA's Artemis II mission, the stakes have never been higher as the agency attempts to return humans to the moon system for the first time in over 50 years.
So how do astronauts cope with the pressure of a big launch?
The night before a launch is usually far less glamorous than people imagine. Historically, astronauts have spent it doing last minute checks of their vital signs and getting themselves ready for the day ahead. For the Artemis II crew, their last night before the launch will be at the Kennedy beach house, a favorite spot for astronauts.
The beach house is located on Merritt Island, near Kennedy Space Center. Since being built in 1962, the beach house has been reserved for astronaut use; it became a quiet place where Apollo-era crews, and more recently ISS and SpaceX astronauts, have gathered with their families before launch day. The beach house's large balcony gives crewmembers a chance to decompress and be with loved ones while looking out onto the Atlantic Ocean.
Keeping with tradition, the Artemis II crew spent Tuesday (March 31) with their families, according to agency administrators. Tomorrow, they’ll head to the launch pad for their first shot at the moon.
Once in a pink moon
Welcome back, science fans. Are you ready to witness humanity fly to the moon for the first time in more than 50 years? Today is set to be the day. And no, this is not an April Fools' joke.
After months of delays, NASA's Artemis II rocket is ready to blast off on a 10-day slingshot trip around April's Pink Moon and back, testing key systems for later lunar landings that the agency hopes will enable them to establish a permanent base on our celestial neighbor's surface.
This lunar base, NASA claims, will soon become a stepping stone to Mars.
As NASA's launch team works through the thousands of highly choreographed steps to bring the Artemis rocket roaring to life, weather conditions surrounding the launchpad at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, remain favorable.
NASA says its coverage of tanking operations will begin at 7:45 a.m. EST (11:45 a.m. GMT). If all goes to plan, Artemis II and its crew will finally lift off sometime between 6:24 p.m. to 8:24 p.m. EST (10:24 p.m. to 12:24 a.m. GMT).
If favorable weather conditions persist; there are no major solar flares to interfere with the rocket's electronics; and the spacecraft's tanks evade the leaks that scrubbed a previous launch attempt in February, we will witness a historic launch.
Stick with Live Science for moment-by-moment updates, commentary, expert insight and exclusive coverage from the historic launch.
How to watch the launch
Morning, science fans! We've just published a launch watch guide that tells you where you can tune in to see Artemis II (hopefully) take off later today.
NASA is streaming the launch for free across lots of different platforms, so it will be very easy to find. Of course, you really should just stick around here. We'll have a feed on the live blog, as well as moment-by-moment coverage of the launch
NASA's launch coverage is scheduled to begin at 12:50 p.m. EDT on YouTube, X, Facebook and Twitch. The live coverage will also be available on NASA's free streaming service, NASA+, as well as a variety of third-party streaming services, including Netflix and Amazon Prime.
We can't say exactly what time the launch will be, but if it goes ahead, then expect the rocket to take off sometime between 6:24 p.m. and 8:24 p.m EDT.
"It's a stepping stone for going to Mars"
Jim Gavio, director of the Yahn Planetarium at Penn State Behrend, has given a preview of what we can expect to see from the Artemis II mission, highlighting that if all goes to plan, NASA's flight controllers will begin to look beyond the moon.
"It's a stepping stone for going to Mars," Gavio said in a statement released yesterday by Penn State (The Pennsylvania State University). "What we learn from going to our relatively close neighbor — the moon — we will use to actually get us to Mars someday."
The Artemis program is meant to advance technologies and develop infrastructure that will be necessary for sending astronauts to Mars in the future. Establishing NASA's recently announced $20 billion moon base could be a key part of this.
But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves — NASA needs to show that it's still capable of travelling to the moon first.
Why launch windows matter
Well, launch windows are a bit like waiting for the stars to align. Or, in this case, the Earth and the moon. NASA plans launches for when the moon is as close as possible (at perigee) to Earth during its 28-day cycle.
That gives them the best target for what follows: a cislunar downtown shot that whips the Orion capsule around Earth to send it precisely where the moon will be in six days time.
Precision being the key word here: Orion will travel around 245,000 miles (394,000 kilometers) or the equivalent of ten trips around Earth's equator before it arrives at the moon. Flight dynamics officers have calculated the launch and Earth's gravity assist such that Orion flies a few thousand miles above the moon's surface, slingshotting around it and (with the help of a well-timed translunar burn) returning safely home.
For a more granular look on the mission's timeline, you can check out the full story here.
The weather stays favorable
If the storm does arrive, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has forecast it will have a moderate G1 to G2 strength, meaning it won't be strong enough to interfere with the Artemis II mission's electronics.
Artemis at no risk from exploded satellite
Good weather — check. No solar flares or coronal mass ejections — check. No debris from one of the more than 10,000 Starlink satellites in orbit — errrrrr.
On Sunday (March 29) and for the second time since December of last year, SpaceX lost contact with a Starlink satellite that suffered an "anomaly" that caused it to shatter into multiple fragments while in orbit.
The mishap is the latest event to litter Earth's skies with yet more space junk.
Thankfully, however, SpaceX has said it will not impact today's launch.
"Latest analysis shows the event poses no new risk to the @Space_Station, its crew, or to the upcoming launch of NASA’s Artemis II mission," SpaceX representatives wrote on X on Monday (March 31). "We will continue to monitor the satellite along with any trackable debris and coordinate with @NASA and the @USSpaceForce."
"Favorable and acceptable weather"
Jaramillo notes that there are some clouds, but they don't seem to be a threat. The Artemis launch weather officer told the launch team that they have "favorable and acceptable weather" for today's countdown, according to Jaramillo.
Things are looking good!
Never been one for appetizers
This is very much the appetizer before the main course of NASA's launch coverage, which is scheduled to begin at 12:50 p.m. EDT.
Why won't Artemis II land on the moon?
While we're waiting, wanna know why this mission is just a lunar flyby?
Artemis II's four-person crew will break all kinds of records and achieve several historic firsts if this mission is a success, but they won't step foot on the moon.
That's because Artemis II was always meant to be a test flight. It's a very expensive and exciting test flight, but a test flight nonetheless.
After sending an uncrewed Orion spacecraft around the moon in 2022 with Artemis I, NASA is now doing the same again with people on board. Artemis II's Orion spacecraft wasn't designed to land on the moon. The mission is all about testing systems and building capacity ahead of planned lunar surface missions in the years ahead.
NASA's first moon landing missions are scheduled for 2028, although it's worth keeping in mind that the Artemis program has been fraught with delays, and NASA originally planned to have astronauts back on the moon by now.
In 2019, NASA was targeting a moon landing by 2024, and yet here we are in 2026, and NASA still hasn't launched its first crewed lunar flyby mission. Fingers crossed today is the day!
Propellant loading officially underway
The SLS core stage has a big ol' tank that will be filled with 700,000 gallons of super-cold liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen.
Artemis II's fuelling stages
The day has just begun and we've already hit some jargon.
Fuelling a 322-foot (100 meter) tall moon rocket is no easy task. But the steps for doing so can be broken down into four stages:
Chilldown: This initial stage cools the fuel lines down in order to reduce thermal shock across them. As we've already seen, it's the quickest phase.
Slow fill: This slowly loads Artemis II's extremely cold liquid hydrogen fuel into the rocket, doing so gradually to condition the rocket's plumbing and tanks from room temperature to the -253°C (-423.4°F) temperature the liquid hydrogen is kept at. More on that in a minute.
Fast fill: Once temperatures inside the tank stabilize, the system moves to fast fill, pumping 8,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and 1,300 gallons of liquid oxygen into the rocket's tanks each minute.
Topping/replenish: Once all the propellant is inside the rocket, engineers closely monitor the rocket for leaks while slowly topping it up to account for some of the fuel boiling off into gas.
Why use hydrogen fuel?
That's because as the smallest molecule, hydrogen can readily pass through solid metals such as steel, nickel and titanium by diffusing through their atomic lattices.
And with a boiling point of minus 423 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 253 Celsius, or 20 kelvins), it must be stored at extremely cold temperatures, which can easily freeze seals beyond safe limits.
Despite these drawbacks, hydrogen still provides the highest specific impulse of any chemical propellant, and also burns without producing any harmful byproducts, making it NASA's fuel of choice since the Apollo program.
Ticking boxes
NASA engineers are slowly ticking off their to-do lists in anticipation of tonight's launch.
Propellant loading is ongoing in the core stage.
Next up on the to-do list is chilldown for liquid hydrogen in the Space Launch System's interim cryogenic propulsion stage. This stage will provide thrust to the Orion spacecraft in space.
What's on the mission menu?
Oh, and they've tried to minimize crumbs too because, you know, zero gravity…
The crew won't have access to a fridge, so they're waving goodbye to fresh food for a few days.
Still, they do have a pretty wide array of options on the menu each day: There are 189 unique items, including 58 tortillas, 48 cups of coffee and five different hot sauces. And while there's no fridge, there is a "compact, briefcase-style food warmer" should the crew fancy a hot meal, according to NASA.
That's quite a lot of choice, but on the day of launch (which is today, hopefully) and on re-entry the crew won't be able to have any of the dehydrated foods because the onboard potable water dispenser will be out of action.
Oh, and there's maple syrup going up too thanks to Canadian crew member, Jeremy Hansen.
Take a seat
Space fans are already arriving at their seats to watch the launch, as the sun rises over a park in Titusville, Florida that overlooks the launch site.
Artemis II stuns
And can you blame fans for setting up so early when this is their view? Artemis II, you beauty.
Where we're at so far
Milestones ahead
There are 26 milestones left to go before we hit booster ignition, umbilical separation, and liftoff!
The secret crewmate
The Artemis II astronauts aren't the only ones heading for the moon. Mission specialist Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist Christina Koch, commander Reid Wiseman, and pilot Victor Glover (pictured above from left to right) will be accompanied by "Rise," the plush moon mascot.
Wiseman unveiled Artemis II's mascot when the crew arrived at Kennedy Space Center on Friday (March 27) in preparation for today's planned launch.
Rise was designed by 8-year-old Lucas Ye of California, and is a cuddly depiction of the famous "Earthrise" snapshot taken by the Apollo 8 mission.
NASA selected Rise from more than 2,600 submissions to its Moon Mascot contest. But the toy isn't just for the crew's seasoned astronauts to cuddle if they get a bit scared.
The mascot will also serve as the mission's zero gravity indicator by floating around in the spacecraft. Astronauts typically take a small plush item on missions to visually indicate when they have made it to space after liftoff.
"The Artemis II zero gravity indicator will be special for the crew," Wiseman said in August, 2025. "In a spacecraft filled with complex hardware to keep the crew alive in deep space, the indicator is a friendly and useful way to highlight the human element that is so critical to our exploration of the universe."
Godspeed, Rise.
"Everything is going very well right now"
"[Replenishment is] a very quiescent configuration for us, and that's required for us to be in that configuration to then be allowed to send our close out crew, which is there to assist the flight crew getting on board Orion," Graeber said on the livestream. "We need to be in that stable replenish configuration to be able to send those crews out to the launch pad."
Core stage liquid hydrogen hits 100%
That's it for the fueling core stage liquid hydrogen, except for further replenishment.
Things are starting to get exciting.
No, that steam does not mean Artemis is about to blow up
If you're seeing some steam coming off the rocket's upper and lower stages, don't fear (or get too excited if you're an Artemis hater) it's "an expected condition" according to Antonia Jaramillo of NASA communications.
"As we begin our loading operations, some of that liquid propellant starts warming up," Jaramillo said on the livestream. "It'll start to boil off and vent outside of the rocket."
Hence why, once the rocket's fuel tanks are topped off, they recieve regular replenishing until launch.
No leaks this time (yet)
Antonia Jaramillo reminds viewers that it was a liquid hydrogen leak during core stage fueling that meant NASA had to scrub its first Artemis II wet dress rehearsal — the mission's first fueling test back in February. No problems this time.
Watch me eat a donut to celebrate Artemis II
Like many space fans, where I live (Colorado) is a long way from Florida's Space Coast and the electricity of seeing Artemis II lift off in person.
Grabbing one of these commemorative donuts lets me feel like I'm sharing a piece of the magic of today's mission, or perhaps it goes nicely with my fourth coffee as I keep up with all this Artemis news.
So why has Krispy Kreme jumped on the Artemis bandwagon? Apparently the pastry brand has a long history of commemorating NASA launches. According to USA Today, Krispy Kreme served its original glazed donuts at NASA's historic launch of Apollo 11 in 1969 and, more recently, during the celebration of NASA's Perseverance rover landing on Mars in 2021.
Now, they've added Artemis II to their celebrations, with perhaps further commemorative pastries to come for NASA's planned future moon missions.
Artemis II is nearly fully loaded
NASA is now nearly there with fueling, except for the upper stage liquid oxygen, which isn't due to start for a little while yet.
According to NASA's schedule, mission staff will begin loading the upper stage liquid oxygen in about 30 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Would you really go to the moon?
With the Artemis II rocket approaching a full fill, there's still time to answer our poll (and leave your reasons why in the comments below) over whether or not you'd board a rocket to go to the moon.
Best answer gets picked up and flown out to Kennedy Space Center to board the rocket with the crew.
All ready for the show
Okay, that last part was an April Fools' joke, I don't have the authority to get anyone on that rocket.
But Artemis II's popularity is really no joke, Kennedy Space Center is now littered with cameras.
So far, so good
But don't get carried away just yet, there's still a little way to go.
NASA scrubbed Artemis II's first wet dress rehearsal with around five minutes left on the countdown clock, and today's launch isn't scheduled for at least another six hours.
But again, so far, so good.
Do I need to watch Apollo 1 to 17 to understand the plot of Artemis II?
Unlike the MCU or Star Wars, you thankfully do not need to watch all 17 previous launches of NASA's Apollo missions to understand the importance of Artemis II.
That said, the Apollo saga does provide important backstory for why Artemis II is so important. So while you do not need to watch the previous Apollo launches to "get" Artemis II, it does help to know what happened in the earlier seasons of the Moon Cinematic Universe (the real MCU).
Unfortunately, the Apollo saga begins with the Apollo 1 fire, which killed all three crewmembers during a ground test and reshaped NASA's safety culture.
Skipping ahead, Apollo 4 to 6 were uncrewed test missions proving the hardware actually worked, while Apollo 7 was the first to get astronauts flying again into orbit.
Apollo 8 then made history by becoming the first crewed mission to actually reach the moon, with Apollo 9 then becoming the first moon mission with all equipment, including the lunar module, to successfully fly in low Earth orbit.
Skipping ahead again we get to the historic Apollo 11 landing where humans first kick up moon dust on their boots. After that, Apollo 12 landed on the lunar surface with Apollo 13 attempting to, but instead having a near-catastrophic failure that thankfully ended with its crew returning safely to Earth, and birthing the famous phrase "Houston, we have a problem."
After that, Apollo missions 14 to 17 returned to the moon for increasingly ambitious space exploration and science, with Apollo 17 becoming the last human moon landing to date.
And if all goes well, today's Artemis II launch could be the moment that the MCU enters a new era of lunar exploration. A franchise reboot, if you like.
Suiting up
NASA has released footage of its astronauts suiting up. In this image, you can see commander Reid Wiseman putting on his communications cap, nicknamed the “Snoopy Cap” during the Apollo era.
This cap will enable ground control to stay in contact with the astronauts during launch.
Artemis II is now fully fueled
NASA is now closing in on a key series of final checks before four astronauts will be given the all clear to enter the Orion spacecraft and get launched to the moon.
One minor issue
Derrol Nail of NASA communications said that NASA is tracking one minor issue. We don't know what that issue is yet, but we should hear more soon.
Checklist check-in
That leaves only 12 left to go until booster ignition, umbilical separation and liftoff.
That one "minor" issue? It's maybe so minor it doesn't exist
"Engineers are keeping an eye on a display unit inside Orion that's just running a little cooler than normal — it's not going out of limit," he added. "It's actually completely fine, but they just were noting the trend and reported that to the NASA Test Director."
Otherwise Nail has said that the tanking has been "incredibly smooth."
A prelaunch card game?
I think what I'm seeing is the Artemis II crew playing cards now? What's going on?
What traditions do astronauts have for the day of the launch?
One of the main traditions happens long before the walkout photos. In the morning before a launch, crewmembers typically sit down and eat a classic steak-and-egg breakfast to start the day — a ritual tied to the early days of American spaceflight. NASA astronaut Alan Shepard is believed to have started this tradition in 1961, before the launch of NASA's Mercury-Redstone 3 (MR-3) mission, a suborbital flight that lasted 15 minutes and 28 seconds.
After eating, crewmembers participate in another tradition, a prelaunch card game. The game, usually a form of poker or blackjack, plays out until the commander of the mission loses. It's a bit of superstition meant to "use up" the bad luck before anyone heads out to the launchpad.
The crew have emerged
Here they are, stepping out onto the tarmac, and making things feel a lot more real.
The Artemis II crew have just had some emotional farewells with some members of their family, alongside friends — as only a few are allowed out to the launch pad with them.
What makes the Orion Artemis II suits so special?
As NASA continues to stream live coverage of the upcoming Artemis II launch, viewers saw the four astronauts getting suited up in their orange spacesuits. But what makes these suits so important?
The Artemis II spacesuits are specialized launch-and-entry pressure suits designed to keep astronauts alive if the Orion crew cabin ever loses pressure during the flight.
"The suit is an all-in-one," said NASA astronaut Nicole Ayers in NASA's April 1 livestream. "They have 10 minutes of oxygen in the case of an emergency."
The suits also include improved cooling and ventilation features to help keep the astronauts cool during long mission phases. Each suit has been custom fitted for each astronaut to ensure the most comfortable fit. The suits plug directly into the Orion capsule, where umbilical connections provide cooling, ventilation, communications and pressure support so the astronauts can remain protected and connected throughout the entire mission.
"Spacesuits are essentially wearable spacecraft," Debbie Senesky, an engineer and an associate professor at Stanford University in the Aeronautics and Astronautics Department, said in a recent statement. "They have to maintain pressure around the body, resist radiation, and be flame-retardant, all while giving the astronaut enough mobility to actually move."
Update from the ground: Final suit-up and departure preparations underway
Here’s Live Science contributor Roger Guillemette on the ground in Florida, bringing us live updates:
The countdown for the Artemis II launch is proceeding smoothly and is now entering the most critical hours leading up to the opening of tonight’s launch window at 6:24 PM EDT (2224 GMT).
The three NASA astronauts – Mission Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover and Mission Specialist 1 Christina Koch & Canadian astronaut Mission Specialist 2 Jeremy Hansen – have just departed the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building for the 9-mile drive to the launch pad. Prior to departure, the crew completed their final spacesuit checks, medical reviews, and communications verifications.
The Artemis II crew are riding in a new set of wheels: A fleet of shiny crew transportation vehicles is transporting them to Launch Complex 39B for their historic ride aboard the Space Launch System rocket and their Orion spacecraft named “Integrity”.
The launch team is not tracking any technical issues at this time. On the pad, the 322 foot (98 meters) tall Space Launch System rocket is fueled and in stable replenish mode as teams continue topping off liquid hydrogen and oxygen lost to natural boiloff.
The weather forecast remains optimistic with an 80% probability of acceptable conditions, with primary concerns being cumulus clouds, ground winds, and solar weather.
Why do astronauts quarantine before launching?
It comes down to avoiding health issues in space, as even the most minor of illnesses can become a major problem in zero gravity. There, medical equipment is limited, so medical problems, like the recent one that happened to astronaut Michael Fincke on the SpaceX Crew-11 mission, can easily develop into something bigger without proper treatment.
By limiting contact with others in the final days before liftoff, NASA helps protect the crew and the mission timeline, especially in the case of the historic Artemis II mission.
Update from the ground: Crew arrives at Pad 39B
Here’s Live Science contributor Roger Guillemette on the ground in Florida, bringing us live updates:
2:30 PM EDT — T-3:54
The Artemis II astronauts have arrived at Launch Complex 39B. After exiting the crew transport vehicle, they rode the elevator up to the 274-foot level of the launch tower and walked across the crew access arm into the ‘white room’ surrounding the Orion spacecraft.
The Close-Out crew has been prepping the spacecraft and are now assisting the astronauts as they begin their ingress into Orion.
The launch team is not currently working on any technical issues, as they continually monitor the Space Launch System’s cryogenic replenish and vehicle pressures, as well as Orion’s environmental systems while the crew prepares to board.
The launch weather forecast remains favorable. Spotty showers in Kennedy Space Center area are expected to dissipate, clearing toward the opening of the launch window at 6:24 PM EDT (2224 GMT).
A record-breaking crew
This mission willl see each member of the Artemis II crew break or set records in their own way, here are some more details from Brandon about how.
Astronaut record: Jeremy Hanson, first non-American to visit the moon
Hailing from London, Ontario, mission specialist Jeremy Hanson is about to become the first Canadian — and first non-American, period — to visit the lunar environment.What does a Canadian bring to space to honor his home country? No, not a goose. Hanson, a first-time space flyer, will reportedly be bringing some maple syrup and maple cookies for his debut voyage.
Learn about more Artemis II records here.
Astronaut record: Victor Glover, first black astronaut to visit the moon
Mission pilot Victor Glover will make history as the first Black astronaut to visit the lunar environment — and the first Black astronaut to venture beyond low Earth orbit.
The 49-year-old former fighter pilot previously spent 168 days on the International Space Station (ISS) between November 2020 and May 2021, making him the first Black astronaut to visit the station. On this trip, he also became the first person to pilot SpaceX's Dragon crew capsule, which was being used to deliver astronauts to the ISS for the first time.
Learn about more Artemis II records here.
Astronaut record: Christina Koch, first woman to visit the moon
Mission specialist Christina Koch will be the first woman to go beyond low Earth orbit and visit the lunar environment.
Koch, 47, already has some significant records under her belt. She holds the record for the most consecutive days spent in space by a woman — having spent 328 days on the ISS between March 2019 and February 2020. During this flight, Koch also participated in the first-ever all-female spacewalk alongside fellow NASA astronaut Jessica Meir.
Learn about more Artemis II records here.
Astronaut record: Reid Wiseman, oldest astronaut to visit the moon
Mission commander Reid Wiseman will become the oldest astronaut to ever visit the lunar environment. Wiseman turned 50 in November, and will snatch this record from legendary NASA astronaut Alan Shepard, who was 47 when he set foot on the moon during the Apollo 14 mission in 1971.
Learn about more Artemis II records here.
Update from the ground: Astronauts board Orion spacecraft
Here’s Live Science contributor Roger Guillemette on the ground in Florida, bringing us live updates:
3:19PM EDT — T-3:04
The Artemis II crew have all entered their Orion spacecraft named “Integrity” and taken their positions in their custom-fitted launch/entry seats. Once inside, technicians secured each astronaut, connecting suit umbilicals for cooling, communications, and oxygen.
The first round of seat-specific communications checks between the astronauts in Orion, the launch control center at the Kennedy, and mission control in Houston has been completed.
The four astronauts have closed the visors on their helmets and inflated their flight suits, and technicians have just concluded a series of leak checks.
The launch team is not currently monitoring any technical issues; the countdown has been proceeding smoothly with little chatter on the communication loops. The Space Launch System booster is fully fueled and in stable cryogenic replenish.
The launch weather forecast remains favorable for launch this evening at 6:24 PM EDT (2224 GMT). Spotty showers in the Kennedy Space Center area are expected to dissipate by launch time.
More about Roger:
Roger has witnessed close to 100 piloted spaceflight launches - from the July 1975 Saturn 1B launch of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project to the final launch of Shuttle Atlantis on STS-135 in July 2011.
His live coverage of the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster was cited as a key factor in Space.com receiving the 2003 Online Journalism Award for Breaking News.
Roger is a correspondent for Space.com, and was previously an Editor/Producer and space reporter for Florida Today’s pioneering 'Space Online' website.
A Rhode Island native, Roger is a graduate of Roger Williams University, now semi-retired to the Lowcountry of South Carolina.
"Like taking a chest X-Ray every day"
The crew have now taken their positions inside the fully-fueled Artemis rocket.
But what about the dangers that lie ahead?
Sending astronauts into space gives NASA a rare opportunity to study how deep spaceflight affects the human body. After leaving Earth's protective magnetic field, the Artemis II crew will have more exposure to space weather, including solar flares.
Live Science recently spoke with Patricia Reiff, a professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University in Houston, Texas, to discuss space weather and how it could impact the Artemis II mission.
Reiff has more than fifty years of experience studying space plasma physics and received her doctorate analyzing data from NASA's first trips to the moon during the Apollo era. Find out what she said about the radiation risks to Artemis II's crew, how galactic cosmic rays are "like taking a chest X-Ray every day" and why Reiff would travel to the moon during solar maximum rather than solar minimum.
Full story here.
Signing the white room wall
Like other astronauts before them, the Artemis II astronauts just signed one of the walls in the "white room," a secluded, clean environment at the end of the crew access arm on the launch tower, the last area before the astronauts enter the spacecraft and where they do their final suit up.
The tradition of signing the white room wall has been around for decades, including during the time of the space shuttle Endeavor.
The white walls are now covered in hundreds of signatures, with the four Artemis II astronauts being the newest additions.
Buckled in and ready to go
As ground engineers make their final checks, the Artemis II are in the Orion Capsule "Integrity" running through comms and equipment checks.
Where will you be watching the Artemis II launch?
Obviously we'll be glued to our laptops before, during and after liftoff. But what about you?
Where are you going to be watching this historic mission? Let us know in the poll and leave your comments here.
Final checks made inside the cabin and in the skies
4:00 PM EDT — T minus 2:24
The close-out team is testing Orion’s cabin integrity to ensure the spacecraft is holding pressure in preparing for spacecraft closeout.
Engineers and pad technicians are completing final interior inspections, removing non-flight items, and preparing for hatch closure procedure.
The launch team is not currently working on any technical issues with either the Space Launch System (SLS) booster or the Orion spacecraft as the countdown is proceeding very smoothly toward tonight’s target launch time at 6:24 PM EDT (22:24 GMT).
Rain showers have been passing through Kennedy Space Center and gray rain clouds floating over the Cape Canaveral area.
Meteorologists just released a weather balloon to monitor upper-level winds to verify they are within acceptable limits. Forecasters are still calling for acceptable conditions at launch time.
The Press Center at Kennedy Space Center is filled to capacity — this correspondent was just evicted from his work location in the news conference auditorium and is now working from his truck!
The view from the far side
The Artemis II crew is about to go farther into space than any humans have ever been. On day 6 of their mission, the team will zoom around the far side of the moon, about 250,000 miles (400,000 km) from Earth.
Their view will be one of a kind. Outside the Orion capsule window, the moon will look about the size of a basketball held at arm’s length, according to NASA, with an even smaller Earth behind it. This will give the team views of the lunar south pole — a coveted landing site for future missions — that has never been seen by human eyes before.
According to NASA, the team will also witness a rare total solar eclipse from the far side of the moon.
"A pretty unique situation here" — Artemis II launch team working through range issue at launch site
But part of this system in the Eastern Range of Kennedy Space Center, called the Flight Termination System (FTS) is experiencing "an issue".
"It's the system that the Eastern Range here uses in order to send a destruct signal to a rocket in case it veers off path," Nail said. "So it's a very critical, important safety component in terms of how the range keeps the public safe."
In order to verify the work to fix the system, engineers are working with the FTS console operator by fetching "a piece of heritage equipment from inside the VAB [Vehicle Assembly Building] that was used during the Space Shuttle Program."
"This equipment is able to receive commands by the range through the flight termination system," Nail said. "The bottom line is that, at this moment, the range is no-go. But that is not stopping us from moving forward in the countdown."
More on this as we get it.
What abort plans does NASA have if the mission fails?
"If this scenario were to happen on the pad, the abort system will go from zero to 405 miles [651 kilometers] per hour in two seconds," Pamela Petranovich, program manager for the abort motor, said in a statement provided by NASA contractor Northrop Grumman.
However, if something happens later in the launch, after the Orion launch abort system had already separated, the Orion crew capsule will use a service module to engage other abort modes. The two options NASA has laid out for this stage is an untargeted Atlantic splashdown for certain ascent emergencies, or an abort once around, where the Orion crew capsule has enough energy to continue partway around Earth and then reenter for recovery, usually somewhere in the Pacific ocean.
"The good news is, the range is go"
"The range is go. That is no longer a constraint," Nail said. "Combine that with the fact that the rocket and the ground systems here are also working — no constraints, clear board."
Update from the ground: Final close-out tasks before launch
5:15 PM EDT — T-1:06
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The close-out crew is performing their final tasks before departing Launch Complex 39-B in preparation for tonight’s launch of the Artemis II mission to the moon.
This evening’s two-hour launch window opens at 6:24 PM EDT (2224 GMT) and weather conditions at the Kennedy Space Center are looking promising, with lots of blue sky over the Atlantic Ocean.
Good news – the issue with Eastern Range’s Flight Termination System has been resolved and the Range is now ‘GO’ to support this evening’s launch.
Mission managers are starting to poll the teams monitoring the Space Launch System booster, Orion spacecraft, ground systems, weather and Range Safety to gauge their readiness for launch in preparation for the formal go/no-go decision for the final terminal countdown.
Roger Guillemette is reporting live from Kennedy Space Center
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That's it from me, back to more rocket stuff
Engineers work through battery issue as countdown enters final hour
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — 5:30 PM EDT — T-0:54
The launch team is currently working on an issue with a battery temperature that is out of range in the Launch Abort System.
The Artemis II countdown is entering the final hour before launch tonight at 6:24 PM EDT (2224 GMT). The close-out crew is closing out the ‘white room’ surrounding the Orion spacecraft and preparing to depart the launch pad.
Weather conditions have improved, meteorologists are now forecasting a 90% chance of acceptable conditions.
Terminal count preparations are underway, and the launch team is monitoring weather conditions, vehicle status, crew readiness, and ground systems ahead of the terminal countdown handoff.
Roger Guillemette is reporting live from Kennedy Space Center
Update on the ground: Terminal launch sequence about to begin
6:04 PM EDT — T-0:20
CAPE CANAVERAL, FL. - With just 20 minutes remaining before tonight’s targeted launch time, Artemis II will soon enter the automated terminal sequence that will control the Space Launch System through the final steps before ignition.
The ground launch sequencer and onboard computers will manage tank pressurization, internal power transitions, and final engine readiness logic.
If the final polls remain Green or Go, the countdown will proceed to booster ignition at 6:24 PM EDT (2224 GMT), sending humans toward the Moon for the first time since Apollo.
Stay tuned.
Roger Guillemette is reporting live from Kennedy Space Center
Battery issue fixed
"They're convinced this is an instrumentation failure," said Derrol Nail of NASA communications.
Update on the ground: Artemis II is go for launch
CAPE CANAVERAL, FL. - The Mission Management Team has given the final OK for this evening’s launch attempt of Artemis II – the first human spaceflight to the moon in over half a century.
The four-person crew will be the first astronauts launched into space atop NASA's mighty Space Launch System (SLS) rocket on their mission to fly the Orion spacecraft around the moon and back.
The countdown clock will soon pick up at the T-minus 10-minute mark.
Roger Guillemette is reporting live from Kennedy Space Center
Update on the ground: 5 minutes to liftoff
Inside the Orion spacecraft named ‘Integrity,’ the four astronauts are strapped in and listening to the final callouts from launch control as the Space Launch System transitions from a fueled rocket on the pad into a fully autonomous launch vehicle.
The next major audible milestone will be the final “go for launch” confirmation, followed by ignition of the four RS-25 engines, then the twin solid rocket boosters at T-0.
In just five minutes, Artemis II will begin humanity’s first crewed voyage toward the moon since Apollo.
Roger Guillemette is reporting live from Kennedy Space Center
Solid rocket boosters separate
This reduces the overall weight of the spacecraft and allows the rocket's main engines to propel it the rest of the way.
For more on the mission stages, read Harry's story here.
Artemis II's crew are now on their way to the moon
Having taken off with barely a hitch, the Artemis II crew will now slingshot around the Earth, sending them into a cislunar downtown shot to precisely where the moon will be in six days time.
For more on the mission stages, read Harry's story here.
Goodnight and Godspeed, Artemis
Well, space fans, you showed up!
More than 3 million people watched the official launch broadcast across two YouTube streams, and those are just NASA's YouTube channels. The feed was also being broadcast across social media, streaming sites, and third-party websites.
Our team at Live Science was a small handful compared to the crowds of people who turned up to watch history in the making. From all of us across both the United Kingdom and the United States, thank you for experiencing this moment with us.
If you liked what you saw, there's plenty more to read, watch and play on Live Science and our social media channels.
We'll continue covering Artemis II's journey to the moon and back in the following days, but for now, this is all of us on the team: Ben, Patrick, Al, Brandon, Roger, Harry and Kenna, saying goodnight and go Artemis!
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