{"id":367595,"date":"2026-03-31T13:39:15","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T13:39:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/367595\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T13:39:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T13:39:15","slug":"artemis-ii-launch-live-nasa-prepares-for-wednesday-launch-of-historic-space-mission","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/367595\/","title":{"rendered":"Artemis II launch LIVE: NASA prepares for Wednesday launch of historic space mission"},"content":{"rendered":"

Refresh <\/p>\n

2026-03-31T13:37:18.543Z
\nWhen were Americans last on the moon?<\/p>\n

\n

\"Apollo\n<\/p>\n

Apollo 17 commander Eugene ‘Gene’ Cernan stands on the moon on Dec. 14, 1972 (Image credit: NASA\/Donaldson Collection via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

The last person to step foot on the moon was Gene Cernan, the commander of NASA’s Apollo 17 mission. Cernan, the last of 12 humans to walk on the moon, left humanity’s final bootprint on the lunar surface on December 14, 1972.<\/p>\n

And while Artemis II does mark NASA’s return to the moon, the mission more closely takes after the Dec. 21, 1968’s Apollo 8 mission, which sent three NASA astronauts on a six-day trip around the moon. Much like Artemis II, Apollo 8 was a key step in testing flight systems and trajectories before attempting a lunar landing.<\/p>\n

\"Ben<\/p>\n

Ben Turner<\/p>\n

Acting Trending News Editor<\/p>\n

2026-03-31T12:30:08.124Z
\nSo why return to the moon, anyway?<\/p>\n

\n

\"A\n<\/p>\n

NASA plans to soon begin construction of a permanent lunar base. (Image credit: NASA)<\/p>\n

This is the first time in more than 50 years that NASA is sending humans to the moon, having famously taken 12 astronauts to the lunar surface as part of the Apollo missions that ran between 1969 and 1972.<\/p>\n

But that doesn’t mean redoing something it achieved decades ago is straightforward. Space travel is a difficult endeavour that comes with substantial risks, and the moon remains a hard target even in 2026.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

So why bother going back?<\/p>\n

Artemis II is scheduled as a lunar flyby, so the astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft won’t actually land on the lunar surface. However, if this 10-day flight around the moon and back to Earth is successful, then NASA will have tested systems ahead of the Artemis IV and Artemis V lunar surface mission planned for 2028, when NASA wants boots on the moon.<\/p>\n

NASA aims to establish a sustained presence on the lunar surface and pave the way for future missions to Mars. That means Artemis II may end up being a key step on the road to humanity colonizing another planet.<\/p>\n

Want to know more? You can read my analysis story here.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Patrick Pester<\/p>\n

Trending News Writer<\/p>\n

2026-03-31T11:14:48.681Z
\nThe mission timeline<\/p>\n

\n

\"An\n<\/p>\n

The 12 steps of the Artemis II mission and the pathway that the Orion spacecraft will take as it slingshots around the moon. (Image credit: John Strike for Live Science)<\/p>\n

Hello, fellow Artemis enthusiasts! Senior staff writer Harry Baker<\/a> here to tell you a little bit about the timeline for NASA’s historic return trip to the moon (and back).<\/p>\n

As soon as operators gave the green light for launch<\/a>, the Artemis II<\/a> mission officially began, and the launch team is already hard at work completing the long list of initial preflight checks. The quarantined astronauts are also making their final preparations before heading to the launch pad at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center tomorrow (April 1).<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

We’ve broken down the 10-day mission into 12 key steps, covering everything from liftoff and low Earth orbit maneuvers to the lunar slingshot, record-breaking reentry<\/a> to Earth’s atmosphere and eventual splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.<\/p>\n

My personal favorite stage is “prox opps.” This comes around 3.5 hours after launch and will see Artemis II’s pilot Victor Glover briefly take control of the Orion spacecraft to test out its manual thrusters and maneuverability, providing crucial data for the upcoming Artemis III and Artemis IV<\/a> missions.<\/p>\n

You can read my full story here.<\/a><\/p>\n

And be sure to bookmark this page so you can come back to it at any point over the next few weeks!<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Harry Baker<\/p>\n

Senior Staff Writer<\/p>\n

2026-03-31T11:08:24.464Z
\nA record-breaking return<\/p>\n

\n

\"Artemis\n<\/p>\n

NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Artemis II commander (left), Victor Glover, Artemis II pilot (center left), Christina Koch, Artemis II mission specialist (center right), and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, Artemis II mission specialist (right) pose in front of NASA’s Artemis II Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft on March 30, 2026\u00a0 (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

It took a while to get here, but after repeated delays, NASA says the Artemis II mission is finally ready to launch. Besides being NASA’s first step to a long-awaited return to the moon’s surface, the mission is set to achieve a number of firsts: Its crew contains the first Black astronaut, the first woman, and the first non-American to visit the moon.<\/p>\n

The crew will smash several longstanding records too. For example, they will return to Earth as the fastest humans in history, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean after reentering our planet’s atmosphere at slightly over 25,000 mph (40,200 km\/h), which would beat the 1969 reentry record currently held by the Apollo 10 astronauts.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

And that’s not all that’s new or record-breaking about this flight. For more details, senior staff writer Harry Baker<\/a> has the full story here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2026-03-31T11:02:04.406Z
\nTo the moon and back <\/p>\n

\n

\"The\n<\/p>\n

The Artemis II rocket stands on a launch pad at sunrise at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida on March 24, 2026 (Image credit: Gregg Newton \/ AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Good morning, science fans. For the first time since 1972, the countdown clock at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida is now running down<\/a> the hours, minutes and seconds until the liftoff of a crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit.<\/p>\n

With a little more than a day remaining until NASA’s Artemis II launch<\/a>, the mission’s four-astronaut crew said they’re ready for their 685,000-mile (1.1 million kilometers) 10-day journey around the moon and back. They will be sent into space by a colossal, 322-foot-tall (98 meters) rocket stack \u2014 taller than the Statue of Liberty \u2014 which will provide over 8.8 million pounds (4 million kilograms) of thrust to a capsule the size of a campervan.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Live Science will be following every moment of this journey, providing you with updates, commentary, expert insight and exclusive coverage from the historic launch.<\/p>\n

So let’s strap in, quit mooning around, and get ready for humanity’s return to our celestial neighbor.<\/p>\n

\"Ben<\/p>\n

Ben Turner<\/p>\n

Acting Trending News Editor<\/p>\n

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