Wednesday, April 1, 2026: See our latest news and updates on NASA's Artemis 2 moon mission's progress to launch today.
NASA is preparing to launch Artemis 2, its first astronaut mission to the moon since 1972, with liftoff set for no earlier than April 1. Liftoff is set for 6:24 p.m. EDT (2224 GMT).
Watch our Artemis 2 launch livestream.
Artemis 2 will launch four astronauts on a 10-day voyage around the moon. Below, you'll find complete coverage of the mission from Space.com's spaceflight news team.
Key Artemis 2 launch countdown events remaining
T-6 Hours to launch: Artemis 2 crew weather briefing
L-6H10M: – Closeout crew assembles at pad
T-4H10M: Artemis 2 crew heads to launch pad
T-4H: Artemis 2 crew boards Orion
T-3H10M: Crew module hatch closure
T-17M – Launch director polls “go” for launch
T-0 Booster ignition, umbilical separation, and liftoff
The Artemis 2 astronauts have emerged from the Astronaut Crew Quarters of the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida, another key milestone in the leadup to launch. Walkout occurred at 1:49 p.m. EDT (1749 GMT).
"It's a great day for us, a great day for this team," Artemis 2 Commander Reid Wiseman said to a round of applause. The four astronauts will now take a ride to Launch Complex 39B, which will take about 15 minutes.
April 1, 2026 at 11:06 PM
1:34 pm EDT | T-4 hours, 50 minutes to Artemis 2 launch
Artemis 2 astronauts conduct spacesuit leak checks
Artemis astronauts getting their suits checked.
Two Artemis 2 astronauts getting leak checks on their spacesuits about five hours before their planned launch on April 1, 2026. (Image credit: NASA)
Technicians are performing leak checks on the Artemis 2 astronauts' spacesuits, and making sure that their air and power systems are functioning normally.
"The bright orange spacesuits are designed to protect them on their journey and feature many improvements from head to toe to the suits worn on the space shuttle," NASA officials wrote in an update today (April 1). NASA reengineered many elements to improve safety and range of motion for Artemis astronauts, and instead of the small, medium, and large sizes from the shuttle era, they are custom fit for each crew member."
Everything is still looking good for an ontime liftoff today at 6:24 p.m. EDT (2224 GMT); the Artemis 2 team is not working any technical issues at the moment, and the weather is likely to cooperate.
Mike Wall
Mike Wall
Spaceflight and tech editor
April 1, 2026 at 10:26 PM
12:47 pm EDT | T-5 hours, 37 min to Artemis 2 launch
Artemis 2 crew's final weather briefing now complete
The four Artemis 2 astronauts have received their final weather briefing, and everything still looks good: Officials with NASA and the U.S. Space Force say there's an 80% chance that Mother Nature will cooperate for today's planned launch at 6:24 p.m. EDT (2224 GMT).
Artemis 2 team members have also completed the "fast fill" of liquid oxygen in the Space Launch System rocket's upper stage and have moved on to the "topping" process. That's another key milestone that keeps everything on track for an on-time liftoff.
Mike Wall
Mike Wall
Spaceflight and tech editor
April 1, 2026 at 9:56 PM
12:26 pm EDT | T-5 hours, 57 min to Artemis 2 launch
Artemis 2 upper stage fast fill fueling underway
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The upper stage of NASA's Artemis 2 rocket is now in the fast-fill phase for liquid oxygen after being fully loaded with liquid hydrogen earlier today. The core stage of the Space Launch System is fully fueled and being topped off periodically, which NASA calls replenish mode.
So far, the fueling process appears to have gone extremely smoothly. No glitches or hiccups to report so far, which is a good sign. NASA has been mired with liquid hydrogen leaks in the past, but the last fueling test for Artemis 2 indicated that those issues were fixed.
Launch remains on track for 6:24 p.m. EDT (2224 GMT).
The weather here remains 80% go, and it is a stunning day so far. NASA's weather offer did warn we could see some showers in about 2 hours, but no cause for concern at this time.
Tariq Malik
Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief, Space.com
April 1, 2026 at 9:18 PM
11:47 am EDT / T-6:36 hrs to Artemis 2 launch
The Artemis 2 Space Launch System rocket first stage is now fully fueled with the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen needed for launch today. It is in replenish mode currently. The upper stage is fueled with liquid hyydrogen, with liquid oxygen loading about 30% complete and rising.
So far, fueling has continues extremely smoothly for today's Artemis 2 astronaut launch to the moon. Liftoff is set for 6:24 p.m. EDT (2224 GMT).
NASA's SLS moon rocket is a towering rocket, the space agency's largest since the Saturn V moon rocket of the Apollo program. It stands 322 feet tall, reaches higher than the Statue of Liberty, and requires 750,000 gallons of propellant to fly.
Here's some of the next key milestones to watch for:
T-4H10M: Artemis 2 crew heads to launch pad
T-4H: Artemis 2 crew boards Orion
T-3H10M: Crew module hatch closure
T-17M – Launch director polls “go” for launch
T-0 Booster ignition, umbilical separation, and liftoff
Tariq Malik
Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief, Space.com
April 1, 2026 at 8:58 PM
11:19 a.m. EDT / T-7:04 hrs to Artemis 2 launch
Artemis 2 moon rocket fully fueled with liquid hydrogen
NASA graphic showing an Artemi 2 2 moon rocket cutaway fueled with propellant
(Image credit: NASA)
NASA's towering Artemis 2 mission rocket has been fully loaded with the liquid hydrogen propellant it will need for liftoff.
The fueling process, which NASA calls tanking, is continuing with the liquid oxygen needed for liftoff. The core stage of the Space Launch System rocket is nearly fully loaded, while liquid oxygen has not yet been loaded onto the upper stage, called the interim cryogenic propulsion stage, or ICPS for short.
Above is a graphic showing where things are currently for today's Artemis 2 astronaut launch to the moon.
Liftoff remains on track for 6:24 p.m. EDT (2224 GMT).
Tariq Malik
Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief, Space.com
April 1, 2026 at 8:22 PM
10:52 am EDT /T-7:31 to Artemis 2 launch
Artemis 2 flight path: Where will NASA's historic Artemis 2 mission fly after it launches today?
an illustration of earth and the moon with a figure eight path drawn around both
An illustration of the path the Artemis 2 Orion spacecraft will take from Earth, around the moon and back on its 10-day journey. (Image credit: NASA/SVS)
The first phase of the mission will see the crew's Orion spacecraft enter Earth orbit. Once there, Orion will separate from the Space Launch System rocket's upper stage (known as the ICPS) before performing a series of maneuvers in close proximity to the ICPS. These are designed to test Orion's ability to fly close to other spacecraft and hardware such as lunar landers, as future crews will have to do on later Artemis program missions.
From there, Orion will perform a series of engine burns that will place it on a trajectory that loops around the moon, using gravity to send the capsule heading back to Earth. Orion will send the four Artemis 2 astronauts farther from Earth than any humans have ever flown before. On the mission's sixth day, the crew will fly around the far side of the moon at an altitude of 4,000-6,000 miles (6,440-9,650 kilometers) above the lunar surface.
On day 10, Orion will reenter Earth's atmosphere traveling at about 25,000 miles per hour (40,000 km/h). The four astronauts will splash down under parachutes in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Francisco, where a U.S. Navy ship will recover them.
Want an in-depth breakdown of each day of the flight? Here's what the Artemis 2 astronauts will be doing on each day of NASA's historic moon mission.
