Success
Artemis II
Human Exploration
National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA)Government
Space Launch System Block 1B
Lunar flybyorbit
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.
Wednesday, April 1, 2026 at 10:35 PM
Replay
Flight Timeline
- T-49:50:00Launch Team On Stations
- T-49:40:00Countdown Start
- T-49:40:00Prop Load Preparations
- T-45:30:00Orion Power On
- T-42:20:00Core Stage Power On
- T-42:10:00ICPS Power On
- T-39:45:00RS-25 Preparations
- T-35:45:00ICPS Power Off
- T-33:30:00Orion Batteries Charging
- T-31:30:00Core Stage Batteries Charging
- T-20:15:00ICPS Power On
- T-15:00:00Pad Closeout
- T-14:15:00Rocket Cavity Inerting
- T-13:15:00GLS Activation
- T-12:35:00Built-In Hold
- T-10:50:00Orion Cold Soak
- T-10:50:00GO for Prop Load
- T-10:40:00Core Stage LH2 Chill
- T-10:40:00Core Stage LOX Transfer Chill
- T-10:25:00Core Stage LOX Prop Chill
- T-9:55:00Core Stage LH2 Slow Fill
- T-9:50:00Resume T-Clock
- T-9:40:00Core Stage LOX Slow Fill
- T-9:30:00Core Stage LOX Fast Fill
- T-9:25:00Core Stage LH2 Fast Fill
- T-9:05:00ICPS LH2 Chill
- T-8:30:00ICPS LH2 Fast Fill
- T-8:00:00Core Stage LH2 Topping
- T-7:55:00Core Stage LH2 Replenish
- T-7:45:00ICPS LH2 Vent & Relief Test
- T-7:20:00ICPS LH2 Topping
- T-7:05:00ICPS LH2 Replenish
- T-6:40:00Core Stage LOX Topping
- T-6:40:00Orion Comms On
- T-6:40:00ICPS LOX Prop Chill
- T-6:30:00ICPS LOX Fast Fill
- T-6:10:00Stage Pad Rescue
- T-6:10:00Closeout Crew Assemble
- T-6:05:00Core Stage LOX Replenish
- T-6:00:00Weather Check
- T-5:45:00ICPS LOX Vent & Relief Test
- T-5:30:00ICPS LOX Topping
- T-5:10:00ICPS LOX Replenish
- T-5:10:00All Stages Replenish
- T-5:10:00Built-In Hold
- T-5:10:00Closeout Crew To White Room
- T-4:40:00Flight Crew To Pad
- T-4:00:00Orion Boarding
- T-3:40:00Hatch Closure
- T-3:10:00Hatch Seal Checks
- T-2:20:00Hatch Closeouts
- T-1:40:00LAS Hatch Closure
- T-1:10:00TPS Scan
- T-50:00Pad Clear
- T-50:00Test Director Briefing
- T-40:00Built-In Hold
- T-25:00Orion Comms Transition
- T-17:00Ready Poll
- T-15:00Visors Down
- T-14:00Short Purge
- T-10:00Terminal Count
- T-08:00Crew Access Arm Retract
- T-06:00Tank Press
- T-06:00Orion Pyros Arm
- T-06:00Orion Internal Power
- T-05:57Core Stage LH2 Replenish End
- T-05:20LAS Available
- T-04:40LH2 High Flow Bleed Check
- T-04:30FTS Arm
- T-04:00Core Stage LOX Replenish End
- T-04:00Core Stage APU Start
- T-03:30ICPS LOX Replenish End
- T-03:10Purge Sequence 4
- T-02:02ICPS Internal Power
- T-02:00Booster Internal Power
- T-01:30Core Stage Internal Power
- T-01:20ICPS Terminal Count
- T-00:50ICPS LH2 Replenish End
- T-00:33GO for Launch
- T-00:30Core Stage Terminal Count
- T-00:12Hydrogen Burnoff Igniters
- T-00:10Core Stage Engine Start
- T-00:06Ignition
- T+00:00Booster Ignition
- T+00:00Liftoff
- T+00:09Tower Clear
- T+00:56Supersonic
- T+01:10Max-Q
- T+02:08SRB Separation
- T+03:18Launch Escape Jettison
- T+08:06MECO
- T+08:18Stage 2 Separation
- T+08:28ICPS RL10 Nozzle Extension
- T+20:00Orion Solar Arrays Deployment
- T+49:00Perigee Raise Burn
- T+1:47:57Apogee Raise Burn
- T+3:24:15Orion Separation
- T+4:35:00Proximity Operations End
- T+4:52:00Orion Separation Burn
- T+5:00:00ICPS Disposal Burn
- T+5:04:00CubeSats Deployment
- T+13:44:00Perigee Raise Burn
- T+25:37:00Translunar Injection Burn
- T+47:25:00Orbital Trajectory Correction Burn
- T+48:07:00Orbital Trajectory Correction Burn
- T+50:05:00Crew CPR Demo
- T+53:25:00DSN Comms Test
- T+72:12:00Orbital Trajectory Correction Burn
- T+75:40:00Lunar Flyby Imaging Plan Review
- T+77:45:00Lunar Flyby Imaging Plan Review
- T+92:30:00Spacesuits Demo
- T+101:23:00Orbital Trajectory Correction Burn
- T+102:59:00Orion Enters Lunar SOI
- T+118:00:00Lunar Flyby
- T+121:23:00Lunar Closest Approach
- T+121:26:00Max Distance To Earth
- T+139:47:00Orion Exits Lunar SOI
- T+141:10:00Lunar Flyby Debrief
- T+148:23:00Orbital Trajectory Correction Burn
- T+169:50:00Radiation Shielding Demo
- T+172:20:00Manual Piloting Demo
- T+191:15:00Orthostatic Intolerance Garment Test
- T+194:10:00Orthostatic Intolerance Garment Test
- T+196:33:00Orbital Trajectory Correction Burn
- T+212:33:00Orbital Trajectory Correction Burn
- T+214:30:00Crew Entry Preparations
- T+217:13:00Orion Service Module Jettison
- T+217:16:00Orion Raise Burn
- T+217:33:00Atmospheric Entry
- T+217:46:00Orion Splashdown
- T+217:53:00Orion RCS Safing
- T+218:01:00Orion Power Off
Links
Mission details
Orbital Attempt
#7,246
NASA Mission
#142
Pad Launch
#59
Location Launch
#280
Designator
2026-069
Weather GO
90%
Weather Concerns
Cumulus Cloud Rule, Ground Winds
Launch Window
NET
Apr 1, 2026, 10:35 PM
Precision
Second
Schedule Changes
1 update
Space Launch System Block 1B Specs
The Space Launch System (SLS) is an American Space Shuttle-derived heavy expendable launch vehicle. It is part of NASA's deep space exploration plans including as the main launch vehicle of the Artemis program. SLS follows the cancellation of the Constellation program, and is to replace the retired Space Shuttle.
Length
111 m
Diameter
8.4 m
Launch Mass
2,948 t
Thrust
39,000 kN
LEO Capacity
105,000 kg
Launch Cost
$2B
Reusable
No
Maiden Flight
2022
Fastest Turnaround
3y 4mo
Total Launches
0
Successful
0
Failed
0
Consecutive Success
0
Maiden flight: Nov 16, 2022
Social Flight Log
- Apr 2, 2026, 2:01 AM
Launch success with Orion separation.
Source - Apr 1, 2026, 10:49 PM
Liftoff.
Source - Apr 1, 2026, 10:25 PM
New T-0.
Source - Apr 1, 2026, 10:15 PM
Extending hold at T-10 minutes.
Source - Apr 1, 2026, 9:33 PM
Updated launch weather.
Source - Apr 1, 2026, 4:58 PM
Official Webcast by NASA has started
Source - Apr 1, 2026, 3:05 PM
Updated launch weather.
Source - Mar 30, 2026, 8:46 PM
T-0 is accurate to the second.
Source - Mar 29, 2026, 3:08 PM
Updated launch weather, 80% GO.
Source - Mar 12, 2026, 7:06 PM
Targeting April 1st.
Source - Feb 21, 2026, 5:35 PM
Delayed to NET April due to upper stage helium leak issue.
Source - Feb 16, 2026, 9:52 PM
Reverted back to NET March 6 EST, to be confirmed.
Source - Feb 6, 2026, 7:13 PM
Moved back up to NET March 3, to be confirmed (see also https://x.com/nasaspaceflight/status/2019805496836767830.)
Source - Feb 3, 2026, 7:03 AM
Delayed to NET March, to be confirmed pending additional tests.
Source - Jan 30, 2026, 1:14 PM
Delayed to NET February 8 EST, to be confirmed.
Source - Jan 10, 2026, 12:21 AM
Refined launch window.
Source - Jan 2, 2026, 10:07 PM
Updated approximate launch time.
Source - Sep 23, 2025, 11:28 PM
Added launch window.
Source - Sep 23, 2025, 2:39 PM
NET February 5.
Source - Jul 31, 2025, 11:05 PM
Moved up to NET February.
Source - Dec 5, 2024, 6:18 PM
NET April 2026.
Source - Jan 9, 2024, 6:53 PM
NET September 2025.
Source - Mar 7, 2023, 5:29 PM
NET November 2024
Source
Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
The John F. Kennedy Space Center, located on Merritt Island, Florida, is one of NASA's ten field centers. Since 1968, KSC has been NASA's primary launch center of American spaceflight, research, and technology. Launch operations for the Apollo, Skylab and Space Shuttle programs were carried out from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 and managed by KSC. Located on the east coast of Florida, KSC is adjacent to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS).
Timezone
America/New_York
Local Launch Time
Apr 1, 2026, 6:35 PM
Total Launches
281
Total Landings
0
Coordinates
28.5242, -80.6508
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. NASA have many launch facilities but most are inactive. The most commonly used pad will be LC-39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Founded
1958
Administrator
Administrator: Jared Isaacman
Total Launches
142
Successful
122
Failed
20
Pending
5
Consecutive Success
12