FL - NASA to launch Artemis II crew on flight around the moon this week - April 2026

[Vaderman]

Countdown back on!

 

[MsMarple]

Crew entrance arm swinging away… 7 minutes…

 

[Vaderman]

T-Minus 01:00!

 

[DS2021]

1 minute

 

[Vaderman]

Artemis II Launch Live Updates: NASA Astronauts Count Down to Moon Mission Liftoff

The crew of four — three Americans and one Canadian — are now scheduled to launch at 6:35 p.m. Eastern on the first crewed journey to the moon since 1972. But they will not land there on this mission.

www.nytimes.com

The final 10 minutes, which NASA calls “terminal count,” is controlled by a computer. A launch controller can halt the countdown if something doesn’t look right.

 

[MsMarple]

Liftoff… WOOHOO!

 

[Vaderman]

Liftoff!

 

[PrairieWind]

Awesome!!! Good luck folks!!!

 

[Recidivist]

So cool!

 

[PrairieWind]

Female launch director!

I loved the comment: "This is what America does. We are a nation of explorers!"

 

[arielilane]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2039471763008962997

 

[arielilane]

Artemis II, the first crewed mission of the Artemis program, launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 6:35 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, April 1.

The mission will send NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen on an approximately 10‑day journey around the Moon.

NASA

NASA.gov brings you the latest news, images and videos from America's space agency, pioneering the future in space exploration, scientific discovery and aeronautics research.

www.nasa.gov

 

[arielilane]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2039473910987534599

 

[arielilane]

Huge adrenaline rush watching that! Check it out.

 

[IceIce9]

Just watched it live! Incredible!

 

[Vaderman]

Just watched it live! Incredible!

The images of the earth being left behind were beautiful. I hope they are able to get awesome footage of them encircling the moon.

 

[Ontario Mom]

Huge adrenaline rush watching that! Check it out.

I think I held my breath for at least a couple of minutes. That was incredible.