1. Launch Window
Backup windows: April 2–6, then April 30. Each day's window shifts slightly due to Earth–Moon geometry. The April 1 window is optimized for the free-return trajectory that brings the crew home safely even without engine burns.
2. Where to Watch Online
| Time (EDT) | Time (PDT) | Feed | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:45 AM | 4:45 AM | Tanking operations begin | YouTube (@NASA) |
| 12:50 PM | 9:50 AM | Official launch broadcast | NASA+, Amazon Prime, YouTube |
| 4:45 PM | 1:45 PM | Spanish-language coverage | NASA platforms |
| 6:35 PM | 3:35 PM | LAUNCH WINDOW OPENS | All platforms |
Streaming Platforms
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NASA+ — free, no subscription needed plus.nasa.gov
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YouTube — NASA official channel, live streams youtube.com/@NASA/streams
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Amazon Prime Video — available with Prime membership
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NASA App — iOS, Android, Fire TV, Roku
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NASA TV — traditional cable/satellite channel
3. What to Watch For — Minute by Minute
- T−10 minutes Terminal countdown autosequence starts. The onboard computers take control of the final countdown. Crew closes visors.
- T−0 SLS ignition — 39 meganewtons of thrust. Four RS-25 engines and two solid rocket boosters fire simultaneously. Brighter than the Sun at close range.
- T+1 minute Max-Q — maximum aerodynamic pressure on the vehicle. The most structurally demanding moment of ascent.
- T+2 min 6 sec SRB separation — twin solid rocket boosters burn out and fall away. Visible as bright sparks tumbling from the stack.
- T+8 minutes Core stage MECO — main engine cut-off. All four RS-25 engines shut down. Core stage separates.
- T+18 minutes ICPS orbit insertion — the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage fires to circularize orbit. Artemis II is in space.
- T+90 minutes First view from orbit — if cameras are streaming, expect the first live images from Orion looking back at Earth.
4. From Mukilteo / Pacific Northwest
Launch is at 3:35 PM PDT — during daylight. You will not see the rocket from here. The launch happens at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, roughly 2,500 miles to the southeast.
Best viewing: watch the NASA+ stream from any device. The coverage starts hours before launch with tanking, crew walkout, and countdown commentary.
The tracker at tibsfox.com will show live telemetry as the mission progresses — countdown clock, trajectory, DSN contact, and spacecraft state vectors.
The Full Moon rises at 6:33 PM PDT on launch day — the same Moon they are heading toward. Step outside after sunset and look east.
If you are on Whidbey Island: watch from Langley's waterfront as the Moon rises over Saratoga Passage. You will be looking at the same object that Orion will be approaching over the next four days.
5. From Kennedy Space Center (In Person)
6. What Happens After Launch
- Day 1 High Earth orbit, systems checkout, and CubeSat deployments from the Orion Stage Adapter.
- Day 1+ Trans-Lunar Injection (TLI) burn — the ICPS fires one last time to leave Earth orbit and send Orion toward the Moon at ~39,000 km/h.
- Day 4 Lunar flyby — Orion passes within ~4,067 miles (~6,546 km) of the Moon's far side. The crew sees the far side with their own eyes for the first time in history.
- Day 9–10 Return and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego. Recovery by USS San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock.
7. Track the Mission Live
Artemis II Live Mission Tracker
Real-time countdown clock, orbital telemetry, trajectory visualization, DSN contact status, and KSC launch weather.
Updates every second. Built from NASA trajectory models, JPL Horizons, NOAA weather data, and DSN XML feeds.
Open Tracker