NASA prepares for Artemis II Moon mission launch: When, where and how to watch live stream and India timing
What is Artemis II Moon mission
Artemis II is NASA’s first crewed test flight of its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft, which is the most capable human spaceflight system ever built. The mission will send four astronauts on a loop around the Moon before returning safely to Earth.However, it is important to note that the crew will not land on the Moon this time, and the mission is essentially a dress rehearsal to check whether all the systems are working safely with real astronauts on board before NASA attempts an actual lunar landing under the upcoming Artemis III mission later this decade. Four astronauts will make this journey:
- Commander Reid Wiseman
- Pilot Victor Glover
- Mission Specialist Christina Koch
- Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen
Koch will become the first woman to travel to lunar distance, while Hansen, a Canadian astronaut, will be the first non-American to fly on a Moon mission.
How and where to watch Artemis II Moon mission live
NASA will broadcast full live coverage through NASA's official YouTube channel and NASA+ streaming platform. Coverage kicks off well before liftoff, featuring live footage of rocket fueling, the final countdown, and the launch itself.For viewers in India, the live streaming will start at around 3:50 am IST on April 2.
Nasa's Artemis II moon rocket lifts off from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39-B on Wednesday, April 1, 2026. The four-person crew would be the first humans to go beyond low-Earth orbit in more than 50 years. They will fly around the far side of the Moon before returning home. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Astronauts , from left, Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, of Canada, Pilot Victor Glover, Commander Reid Wiseman and Mission Specialist Christina Koch leave the Operations and Checkout Building for a trip to Launch Pad 39-B and a planned liftoff on Nasa's Artemis II moon rocket at the Kennedy Space Center Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Nasa reports Artemis II Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson conducted one of the most important steps before liftoff: the “go/no-go” poll for the team to proceed with the final 10 minutes of the countdown known as terminal count. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
People gather along Florida's Space Coast as Nasa's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, carrying the Orion spacecraft and four astronauts, lifts off on the Artemis II mission from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. (@nasahqphoto/X via PTI Photo)
The launch of Nasa's Artemis II moon rocket from the Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad39-B is seen on the television monitor in the James Brady Briefing Room of the White House on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
This image taken from video provided by Nasa shows the Artemis II crew, from left, Canadian astronaut and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen, Commander Reid Wiseman, mission specialist Christina Koch and pilot Victor Glover as they speak with Nasa Mission Control via video conference from the moon's orbit Thursday, April 2, 2026. (NASA/PTI)
In this screengrab from a video posted on April 2, 2026, Nasa's Orion spacecraft during "proximity operations" after separating from the rocket's upper stage as part of the Artemis II mission. (@NASA/X via PTI Photo)
The solid rocket boosters on Nasa's Artemis II moon rocket fall away after lifting off from the Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39-B Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
After reaching space, Orion deployed its four solar array wings, enabling the spacecraft to receive energy from the Sun, while the crew and engineers on the ground immediately began transitioning the spacecraft from launch to flight operations to start checking out key systems. This photo of Earth was captured by one of the solar array cameras. (Nasa)
During a lunar flyby on Monday, April 6, the astronauts will take high resolution photographs and provide their own observations of the lunar surface, including areas of the far side of the Moon never seen directly by humans.
The partial illumination would create shadows that stretch across the surface, enhancing relief and revealing depth, ridges, slopes, and crater rims that are often difficult to detect under full illumination. (Nasa/AP)
What comes next
Once Artemis II successfully completes its lunar flyby and the crew returns home safely, NASA will begin preparations for Artemis IIIto put astronauts back on the Moon’s surface for the first time since 1972. That mission, targeted for later this decade, aims to land at the lunar south pole.- Google CEO Sundar Pichai to 'return' to Stanford University in June 2026 as ...
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