Artemis II launch from Florida’s Space Coast | Live updates, team coverage
IN JUST 24 HOURS. WESH TWO NEWS STARTS NOW IN JUST 24 HOURS. THE ARTEMIS TWO CREW SHOULD BE LOADED UP INTO THE ORION CAPSULE AS NASA TEAMS START TO CLOSE THE HATCH FOR THIS HISTORIC MISSION, AND YOU CAN FEEL THE EXCITEMENT. CHOPPER TWO FLYING OVER SPACE VIEW PARK, WHERE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WILL BE TRAVELING TO FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO WITNESS IT ALL. WE’RE GETTING READY, TAKING YOU THROUGH THE FINAL PREPS BEFORE THE ROCKET LIFTS OFF TOMORROW. A VERY EXCITING DAY INDEED. WE HAVE TEAM COVERAGE THIS AFTERNOON. WE HAVE BUSINESSES AROUND THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPEAKING OUT AS THEY PREPARE FOR A FLOOD OF VISITORS. BUT FIRST WE BEGIN WITH SPACE COAST REPORTER MEGHAN MORIARTY, WHO HEARD FROM NASA LEADERS THIS AFTERNOON. MEGHAN. RIGHT NOW THEY’RE SAYING THAT IT IS AN 80% GO FOR LAUNCH TOMORROW. AND AS WE GET FURTHER INTO THE WEEK, THE WEATHER FORECAST ISN’T LOOKING AS GREAT. SO THEY’RE MONITORING THE WINDS AND THE CLOUDS. BUT HERE AT THE PRESS SITE, WE ARE JUST SEEING THIS PLACE SWARMING WITH PEOPLE. JOURNALISTS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD ARE HERE TO COVER THIS HISTORIC LAUNCH, AND WE’VE BEEN HERE SINCE DAY ONE. THIS IS AN AMAZING PLACE TO BE. THE CLOCK IS COUNTING DOWN AS WE INCH CLOSER TO LAUNCHING FOUR ASTRONAUTS INTO DEEP SPACE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MORE THAN 50 YEARS, THE MISSION IS YEARS IN THE MAKING. I DON’T KNOW IF I’VE BEEN WORKING ON ARTEMIS IN THE BEGINNING, WHEN WHEN THE PROGRAM WAS ANNOUNCED IN 2017 WITH SPACE POLICY DIRECTIVE ONE, BUT I REALLY GOT TO WORK ON ORION. EVEN BEFORE THERE WAS ARTEMIS, MANY, MANY YEARS AGO. JOEL KEARNS, DEPUTY ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR FOR EXPLORATION, IS ONE OF THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO HAD A HAND IN MAKING ARTEMIS HAPPEN. I KNOW THE PEOPLE THAT DESIGNED THE ROCKETS AND THE SPACECRAFT HAVE PUT TOGETHER THE EXPERIMENTS. THEY’RE REALLY, REALLY GOOD. WE YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE KIND OF A SAYING HERE THAT IT WILL FLY WHEN THE ROCKET AND THE SPACECRAFT ARE READY AND EVERYTHING’S READY TO GO. SO WE’LL FIND OUT AS I GET CLOSER AND CLOSER AND AS WE INCH CLOSER, WE’RE GETTING REGULAR UPDATES FROM NASA. THEIR LAUNCH WEATHER OFFICER SAYS WHILE WINDS ARE A CONCERN, THIS IS A RESILIENT VEHICLE. BUT KEEP IN MIND THE WEATHER HAS TO BE FAVORABLE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE FLIGHT PATH. CUMULUS CLOUDS ARE ALSO A SLIGHT CONCERN, AND THE SUN HAS BEEN MORE ACTIVE RECENTLY, WHICH PUTS US AT RISK FOR POSSIBLE SOLAR FLARES. I’LL BE LOOKING TO SEE IF THERE’S ANY HYDROGEN LEAKS OR NOT. THE ROCKET IS FUELED WITH FREEZING LIQUID HYDROGEN. IT’S LOW. TEMPS CAN CAUSE THE HARDWARE TO BECOME BRITTLE, FORMING CRACKS, MAKING IT EASY FOR THE SMALL MOLECULES TO ESCAPE. BUT A SIZABLE LEAK IS CATASTROPHIC AS THE GAS IS HIGHLY FLAMMABLE AND THEY SHOULD BE ALMOST FULLY LOADED BY AROUND 1 P.M. SO THAT’S GOING TO BE A REALLY GOOD SIGN. IF THAT GOES WELL, THEN WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT CHANCE TO LAUNCH. AND ONE OF THE EXPERIMENTS BEING LOADED ONTO ARTEMIS TWO TODAY IS ONE CALLED AVATAR. IT’S A VERY UNIQUE AND NEW EXPERIMENT FOR NASA. WHAT IT WILL DO IS IT WILL HELP FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO PERSONALIZE MEDICINE FOR ASTRONAUTS, AS DOWN THE ROAD WE GET TO TRAVEL DEEPER INTO SPACE AND HOPEFULLY ONE DAY TO MARS. COVERING THE SPACE COAST LIVE AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTER. MEGHAN MORIARTY, WESH TWO NEWS. ALL RIGHT, MEGAN, IF YOU HAVEN’T MADE PLANS YET TO WATCH THE LAUNCH, YOU MIGHT WANT TO GET ON THAT. PLACES ARE ALREADY PACKED. WESH 2 NEWS KENNEDY MASON IS LIVE WHERE PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY FOUND THEIR SPOT FOR THE LAUNCH. KENNEDY HOW’S IT LOOKING OUT THERE? SANIKA PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY PULLED OVER ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD HERE ON STATE ROAD. 528. MORE AND MORE RV’S HAVE SHOWN UP THROUGHOUT THE DAY TODAY, AND PEOPLE TELL ME THEY SET UP A DAY EARLY BECAUSE THEY WORRIED THEY WOULDN’T GET A SPOT FOR TOMORROW’S BIG DAY. EAGERNESS AND EXCITEMENT. WE’RE GOING BACK TO THE MOON. APOLLO EIGHT STYLE. THAT’S HOW MANY PEOPLE IN BREVARD COUNTY FEEL AHEAD OF THE ARTEMIS TWO LAUNCH. D CHESTER A VIRGIN GALACTIC ASTRONAUT, TRAVELED ALL THE WAY FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TO SEE THIS HISTORIC LAUNCH. I JUST WANT TO HEAR IT, FEEL IT, AND SENSE IT. ON TUESDAY, SHE HEADED TO SPACE SHIRTS, A STORE THAT’S BEEN OFFERING SPACE MEMORABILIA MADE IN HOUSE SINCE 1992. YOU CAN’T PREPARE FOR IT. IT’S OVERWHELMING. IN A BLAST. IT WAS FILLED WITH PEOPLE, AND OWNER BRENDA MULBERRY SAYS IT’S BEEN BUSY FOR A WHILE. IT’S BEEN STEADY SINCE THE FIRST LAUNCH ATTEMPT. IT REALLY HASN’T SLOWED DOWN AND TODAY IT’S BUSY AND IT WILL GET BUSIER TOMORROW BECAUSE EVERYBODY’S WAITING FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN. MANY ARE ALREADY STAKING OUT IN THEIR RVS ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, HOPING TO WITNESS HISTORY. I CAME LAST NIGHT, BUT ALL THE RV PARKS AROUND HERE ARE FULL, SO THERE’S NO PARKING ANYWHERE NEAR BREVARD. RESIDENTS AND RESIDENTS AND YOU DON’T HAVE SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO DO. IT’S BEST TO NOT BE ON THE ROADS. TODD GOODYEAR WITH THE BREVARD COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE SAYS SAFETY IS TOP PRIORITY. IF YOU PLAN TO WATCH THE LAUNCH FROM 528, HE ASKS THAT NO ONE CROSSES THE MEDIANS. IF YOU’RE COMING, YOU NEED TO COME EARLY. WE’RE EXPECTING CLOSE TO 400,000 PEOPLE TO COME INTO BREVARD. AND THE SPACE COAST OFFICE OF TOURISM SAYS THAT MOST HOTELS IN CAPE CANAVERAL, COCOA AND TITUSVILLE ARE FULL. SO IF YOU ARE STILL LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO STAY, THEY RECOMMEND LOOKING FARTHER SOUTH IN MELBOURN
Artemis II launch from Florida’s Space Coast | Live updates, team coverage
Updated: 4:50 PM EDT Mar 31, 2026
Artemis II is preparing for launch from the Kennedy Space Center, where the rocket will carry the Orion spacecraft for a second time, on its journey around the moon – an update to the original plan, which put astronauts on the surface. The earliest the rocket will launch is 6:24 p.m. on April 1. >> WESH 2 will stream the launch live in the player above | Live team coverage will start at 4:30 a.m. ARTEMIS II LINKS || HOW THE ARTEMIS II MISSION WILL UNFOLD | BEST PLACES TO VIEW LAUNCH | ROAD CLOSURES ON LAUNCH DAY | MEET THE CREW | ABOUT THE PILOT | 400,000 VISITORS EXPECTED | LIVE COUNTDOWN CLOCK | ARTEMIS PROGRAM OVERVIEW | WIND COULD IMPACT LAUNCH Artemis II countdown On Wednesday, launch day, tanking operations to load fuel into the Space Launch System rocket will begin at 7:45 a.m., nearly 12 hours before the launch window opens at 6:24 p.m.The fueling process will take hours. NASA builds in extra time in case something comes up.They could enter a “hold,” where they pause operations to fix any issues along the way. At 12:44 p.m., the crew begins dressing in launch and entry spacesuits.At about 1:44 p.m., the crew will head to the padAt 5:54 p.m., NASA’s test director will conduct a final briefing.The launch window opens at 6:24 p.m. The crewFour astronauts are aboard NASA’s Space Launch System.Commander: Reid WisemanPilot: Victor GloverMission Specialist: Christina KochMission Specialist: Jeremy HansenThe path Artemis Program OverviewArtemis is NASA’s long-term Moon exploration campaign.The program’s main goals include returning humans to the moon, building a sustained lunar presence, maturing technology and operations needed for human missions to Mars, and doing this all with international and commercial partners.The missions are each designated to different milestones, strategies and individual goals.Artemis IThis mission is complete.It was an uncrewed integrated flight test of the Space Launch System, which is a heavy-lift rocket that launches crews and large cargo toward the moon, and Orion, which is a crew spacecraft that carries astronauts to lunar orbit and returns them to Earth.SLS and Orion went around the moon and came back to Earth.The purpose of this mission was to validate deep-space performance and reentry before flying with a crew.>> Relive the launch of Artemis I here.Aretmis IIThis mission is planned.Artemis II will be the first crewed mission to the moon, with the plan to fly around itThe purpose of the crewed flight is to prove life support, operations and high-speed returns with astronauts.Artemis III (This mission has changes as of Feb. 27)This mission is planned.Artemis III will be the first crewed lunar landing of the program, targeting the lunar South Pole region.The 10-day mission will include field geology, sample collection/return and deployed experiments.Four astronauts will launch in Orion, two will land on the moon for surface work, and then they will return to Orion for the journey back to Earth.Artemis IV and beyondThe future missions will aim to expand on capabilities toward sustained operations on the moon, such as more surface time, more cargo and infrastructure delivery, increased use of Gateway as a staging node, and progression toward an “Artemis Base Camp” style sustainable presence.Why the lunar South Pole?It has scientifically valuable terrain and ancient geology.It contains regions with water ice and other volatiles in permanently shadowed areas, which is key for science and potential resources.Its challenging conditions will help prove the systems needed for Mars-class missions.More information
Artemis II is preparing for launch from the Kennedy Space Center, where the rocket will carry the Orion spacecraft for a second time, on its journey around the moon – an update to the original plan, which put astronauts on the surface.
The earliest the rocket will launch is 6:24 p.m. on April 1.
>> WESH 2 will stream the launch live in the player above | Live team coverage will start at 4:30 a.m.
ARTEMIS II LINKS || HOW THE ARTEMIS II MISSION WILL UNFOLD | BEST PLACES TO VIEW LAUNCH | ROAD CLOSURES ON LAUNCH DAY | MEET THE CREW | ABOUT THE PILOT | 400,000 VISITORS EXPECTED | LIVE COUNTDOWN CLOCK | ARTEMIS PROGRAM OVERVIEW | WIND COULD IMPACT LAUNCH
Artemis II countdown
On Wednesday, launch day, tanking operations to load fuel into the Space Launch System rocket will begin at 7:45 a.m., nearly 12 hours before the launch window opens at 6:24 p.m.
The fueling process will take hours. NASA builds in extra time in case something comes up.
They could enter a “hold,” where they pause operations to fix any issues along the way.
At 12:44 p.m., the crew begins dressing in launch and entry spacesuits.
At about 1:44 p.m., the crew will head to the pad
At 5:54 p.m., NASA’s test director will conduct a final briefing.
The launch window opens at 6:24 p.m.
The crew
Four astronauts are aboard NASA’s Space Launch System.
Commander: Reid WisemanPilot: Victor GloverMission Specialist: Christina KochMission Specialist: Jeremy Hansen
The path
Artemis Program Overview
Artemis is NASA’s long-term Moon exploration campaign.
The program’s main goals include returning humans to the moon, building a sustained lunar presence, maturing technology and operations needed for human missions to Mars, and doing this all with international and commercial partners.
The missions are each designated to different milestones, strategies and individual goals.
Artemis IThis mission is complete.It was an uncrewed integrated flight test of the Space Launch System, which is a heavy-lift rocket that launches crews and large cargo toward the moon, and Orion, which is a crew spacecraft that carries astronauts to lunar orbit and returns them to Earth.SLS and Orion went around the moon and came back to Earth.The purpose of this mission was to validate deep-space performance and reentry before flying with a crew.
>> Relive the launch of Artemis I here.
Aretmis IIThis mission is planned.Artemis II will be the first crewed mission to the moon, with the plan to fly around itThe purpose of the crewed flight is to prove life support, operations and high-speed returns with astronauts.Artemis III (This mission has changes as of Feb. 27)Artemis III will be the first crewed lunar landing of the program, targeting the lunar South Pole region.The 10-day mission will include field geology, sample collection/return and deployed experiments.Four astronauts will launch in Orion, two will land on the moon for surface work, and then they will return to Orion for the journey back to Earth.
Artemis IV and beyondThe future missions will aim to expand on capabilities toward sustained operations on the moon, such as more surface time, more cargo and infrastructure delivery, increased use of Gateway as a staging node, and progression toward an “Artemis Base Camp” style sustainable presence.Why the lunar South Pole?It has scientifically valuable terrain and ancient geology.It contains regions with water ice and other volatiles in permanently shadowed areas, which is key for science and potential resources.Its challenging conditions will help prove the systems needed for Mars-class missions.More information