Artemis II Mission Launches from Kennedy Space Center in Florida

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Artemis II is scheduled to launch from Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, sending four astronauts on a 10-day mission into deep space, around the moon, and back to Earth.

The Artemis II crew includes Commander Reid Wiseman, 50; Pilot Victor Glover, 49; Mission Specialist Christina Koch, 47; and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, 50, of the Canadian Space Agency. The 2-hour launch window opens at 6:24 p.m.

Follow along for live mission updates on Artemis II, the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, the Orion spacecraft, and the crew. Watch live-streaming coverage in the video player above.

SLS core stage separates

NASA’s Artemis II mission reached a key milestone as the Space Launch System core stage completed main engine cutoff and successfully separated from Orion and the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage, officials reported.

The transition marks the end of the first major propulsion phase and the start of upper-stage operations.

The next critical step is deployment of Orion’s four solar array wings, scheduled about 18 minutes after launch. Once extended, the arrays will provide continuous electrical power for life support, avionics, communications, and spacecraft systems for the journey to the Moon.

Orion fairings jettisoned

NASA’s Artemis II mission successfully jettisoned the spacecraft adapter fairings that enclosed Orion’s service module and launch abort system, officials reported.

Now above the densest layers of Earth’s atmosphere, Orion no longer needs the protective structures used during the high-pressure early phase of launch.

The next key milestone will be separation of the SLS core stage and ignition of the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage to continue propelling Orion toward orbit.

Artemis II solid rocket boosters separate

NASA’s Space Launch System twin solid rocket boosters have successfully separated, officials reported, clearing the way for the core stage to continue propelling the Orion spacecraft, named Integrity, toward orbit.

Each booster stood 177 feet tall and produced more than 3.6 million pounds of thrust at liftoff, providing most of the rocket’s power during the first two minutes of flight. Separation reduces mass, allowing the core stage to maintain acceleration.

In the next phase, the spacecraft adapter jettison fairings protecting Orion’s service module and launch abort system are scheduled to separate, exposing the spacecraft for the remainder of its journey.

Liftoff!

NASA’s Artemis II mission lifted off at 6:35 p.m. EDT from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39B, sending four astronauts aboard the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft on a journey around the Moon, officials said.

The crew includes Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. The mission marks the first crewed flight of NASA’s Artemis program.

At liftoff, the rocket’s twin solid boosters and four RS-25 engines generated about 8.8 million pounds of thrust to propel the 5.75-million-pound vehicle into flight. Umbilical connections supplying power, fuel, and data detached as the rocket cleared the pad, allowing it to operate independently.

The roughly 10-day mission will test systems needed for future deep space exploration as NASA prepares for more complex lunar missions and eventual human travel to Mars.