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Artemis II Launch today: NASA’s crewed Moon mission Live stream, IST time, and how to watch
NASA Artemis II Rocket Launch Live Streaming, Time: NASA Artemis II launch on April 1 marks first crewed Moon mission in five decades. Check launch time in India, live streaming details,
The spacecraft will have travelled a distance of 685,000 miles by the end of the mission before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean around April 10. (Image: Nasa)
NASA Artemis II Rocket Launch Date, Time, Live Streaming: The much-awaited Artemis II mission by Nasa is set to mark a historic return to deep space, with liftoff scheduled for April 1. The mission will launch from Kennedy Space Center at Launch Complex 39B, with a two-hour window opening at 6:24 PM EDT (3:24 am in India the next day).
This will be the first crewed mission to head toward the Moon since the Apollo era, ending a gap of more than five decades. If weather or technical issues arise, Nasa has backup launch opportunities planned each day through April 6.
Coverage of the event will begin hours before liftoff, giving viewers a full look at the final preparations and countdown.
Launch timing and schedule
Nasa has already confirmed that the Artemis II mission will take place on a predetermined schedule on the launch day. The activities are scheduled to begin early in the morning on the launch day.
The live coverage of the launch will commence before the launch window opens, allowing all to witness some of the major milestones in the launch.
The launch window is scheduled to remain open for two hours, giving the mission team enough time in case of slight delays. If the launch does not take place on April 1, there are other launch windows available until April 6.
Where to watch the launch live
The launch of Artemis II is open to interested parties worldwide through several platforms. NASA+ and NASA TV will broadcast the launch of the Artemis II mission live without ads, starting from 12:50 PM EDT on April 1 and will also be available YouTube.
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A continuous livestream will also be available on YouTube, where audiences can follow live visuals of the rocket and mission progress. Furthermore, Nasa will also provide updates and key highlights of the mission on its social media handles.
The broadcast will also include close-up shots of the Orion spacecraft and the Space Launch System ready for launch.
Artemis II mission
SPACE — MISSION EXPLAINER
Artemis II: Humanity's Return to the Moon
A 10-day mission that will take humans further from Earth than at any time since Apollo — looping around the far side of the Moon before splashing down in the Pacific.
MISSION OVERVIEW
A 10-day test flight for the future of lunar exploration
Artemis II is a crewed mission designed to test the systems required for a future Moon landing. The crew will validate life support and communications before venturing to the Moon and back, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean around April 10.
10
Days total mission duration
24
Hours in high Earth orbit for systems tests
~Apr 10
Target splashdown in the Pacific Ocean
LAUNCH — DAY 1
Spacecraft enters high Earth orbit. Crew begins 24-hour systems verification phase.
DAYS 1–2
Life support and communications tested. Critical systems validated before the spacecraft departs for the Moon.
DAYS 3–8 — OUTBOUND
Transit to the Moon via free return trajectory. Spacecraft loops around the far side of the Moon.
~APRIL 10 — DAY 10
Splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. Mission concludes after 10 days in space.
HISTORIC MILESTONE
First humans to fly by the Moon in over 50 years
Artemis II will mark the first time humans have flown to the vicinity of the Moon since the Apollo programme ended. The mission is a critical precursor — proving crewed systems work at lunar distance before a landing attempt.
50+
Years since humans last flew to the Moon
The last crewed lunar mission was Apollo 17 in December 1972. Artemis II ends that more than half-century gap.
◆
A test flight, not a landing
Artemis II is designed to prove the Orion spacecraft and its systems can carry a crew safely to lunar distance and return — paving the way for Artemis III to land on the Moon.
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Stepping stone to the lunar surface
Every system validated on Artemis II — life support, communications, navigation — feeds directly into the requirements for a crewed Moon landing on a future mission.
THE FAR SIDE
Looping around the side of the Moon we never see from Earth
The Moon is tidally locked to Earth, meaning the same face always points toward us. The far side — permanently facing away — is never visible from the ground. Artemis II will fly around it, giving the crew a view no human has experienced since the Apollo era.
●
Tidal locking explained
The Moon rotates on its axis at exactly the same rate as it orbits Earth — so one face is permanently hidden from us. This is called tidal locking.
★
A communications blackout zone
While behind the Moon, the crew will lose direct radio contact with Earth — the Moon itself blocks all signals. This communication blackout is a key test scenario for the mission.
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Loop and return
The spacecraft does not enter lunar orbit. Instead it uses the Moon's gravity to loop around the far side and slingshot back toward Earth on a free return path.
MISSION DESIGN
What is a free return trajectory?
A free return trajectory is a precisely calculated flight path that uses the Moon's gravitational field to naturally curve the spacecraft back toward Earth — without requiring an engine burn for the return journey. It is one of the safest trajectories in crewed spaceflight.
◆
Gravity does the work
Rather than firing engines to brake into lunar orbit and again to leave, the spacecraft is aimed so the Moon's gravity naturally curves its path and sends it home.
★
A proven safety net
Apollo 13 famously used a free return trajectory to bring its damaged spacecraft home after an explosion. The path is designed so the crew returns safely even if propulsion fails.
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No lunar orbit on this mission
Artemis II will not stop to orbit the Moon. The free return path takes the spacecraft around the far side and directly back to Earth, ending with a Pacific Ocean splashdown.
Sources: Article input provided by Indian Express editorial team
The Artemis II mission is a 10-day mission aimed at testing systems for a future mission to the Moon. The mission will commence by entering high Earth orbit and having the crew on board test the life support and communication systems for the first 24 hours.
The spacecraft will then travel to the Moon via a free return trajectory. The spacecraft will loop around the far side of the Moon before returning to Earth.
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The spacecraft will also reach a distance of 248,655 miles from Earth during the mission. The spacecraft will have travelled a distance of 685,000 miles by the end of the mission before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean around April 10. The mission is set to beat the previous record of 248,000 miles set by Apollo 13.
Artemis II crew
The Artemis II mission will be conducted by a diverse team of four astronauts. Reid Wiseman will serve as commander, with Victor Glover as pilot. The crew also includes mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen.
The mission signifies several important milestones: Koch will become the first woman to travel to the Moon’s vicinity, Glover the first person of colour, and Hansen the first non-American to take part in a lunar mission. However, none of the astronauts will set foot on the Moon, as Artemis II is a flyby mission and will not involve a lunar landing.
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