NASA Artemis II Set to Launch for Moon Flyby
scienceApr 1, 2026
NASA will launch Artemis II tonight, with liftoff targeted during a two-hour window beginning at 6:24 PM EDT. Four astronauts will loop around the Moon on a risky, technically challenging mission lasting about ten days. The flight will test the Space Launch System rocket and Orion crew capsule in deep space, including crewed lunar flyby operations. It is the first crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit in over half a century, and it advances plans for sustained lunar exploration and eventual crewed landings.
Key Highlights
Artemis II liftoff targeted tonight, two-hour launch window opens at 6:24 PM EDT.
Four astronauts will loop around the Moon on a roughly 10-day flight.
The mission tests SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft for human deep-space operations.