NASA's Artemis II test flight countdown officially begins: Here's everything to know

Six decades after Florida’s coast is buzzing again as NASA’s Artemis II launch countdown is officially underway at Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

The four astronauts have arrived at their consoles inside the Rocco Petrone Launch Control Center.

Florida beaches and cities are humming as the clock has started ticking for NASA’s historic Artemis II moon program.

The on-location countdown clock began ticking at 4:44 p.m. EDT on Monday, March 30, targetting liftoff for 6:24 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.

At the exact liftoff time of 6:24pm EDT on Wednesday, four Artemis II astronauts will commence their voyage to the moon, the first since 1972.

Artemis II is the first crewed launch of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft.

With countdown officially underway, engineers power up flight hardware, test communications, and ready cryogenic systems to load super-cooled liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.

The four astronauts, Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian Astronaut Jeremy Hansen, arrived at the Kennedy Space Center on Friday, March 27, 2026.

All four Artemis II crew members are staying in the Astronaut Crew Quarters inside NASA Kennedy’s Neil A. Armstrong Operation and Checkout Building.

They underwent medical checks, and focused on technical readiness.

The four crew members will spend 10 days on a round trip around the moon aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft.

They were given a regulated sleep and diet plan to stay energized and hydrated for launch and received regular updates on rocket systems and weather conditions from their quarters.

NASA and weather officers, in coordination with the U.S. Space Force’s Space Launch Delta 45, are regularly keeping an eye on weather conditions ahead of tanking operations.

Where to watch the Artemis II launch live?

The broadcast will begin with live visuals and audio commentary of tanking operations starting at 4:45am on April 1 on NASA’s YouTube channel.

After the successful launch of Artemis II, NASA is eyeing a moon landing by 2028, with a goal of a permanent establishment of a lunar base.