Artemis II launch live: NASA prepares for historic space mission launch on Wednesday

2026-03-31T13:57:38.239Z

Who else walked on the moon?

We gave away Gene Cernan’s name as a giveaway, but do you know who else walked on the moon? Take our quiz to see how much you know.

2026-03-31T13:37:18.543Z

When was the last time Americans went to the moon?

The last person to set foot on the moon was Gene Cernan, commander of NASA’s Apollo 17 mission. Cernan, the last of the 12 humans to walk on the moon, left the last human footprint on the moon on December 14, 1972.

And while Artemis II marks NASA’s return to the moon, the mission is more akin to the Apollo 8 mission on Dec. 21, 1968, which sent three NASA astronauts on a six-day trip around the moon. Like Artemis II, Apollo 8 was an important step in testing the flight system and trajectory before attempting the moon landing.

ben turner

Trend News Deputy Editor

2026-03-31T12:30:08.124Z

Why go back to the moon anyway?

This will be the first time in more than 50 years that NASA has sent humans to the moon, famously taking 12 astronauts to the moon as part of the Apollo program from 1969 to 1972.

But that doesn’t mean it’s easy to undo what was accomplished decades ago. Space travel is a difficult endeavor with great risks, and the moon remains a demanding goal in 2026.

So why bother going back?

Artemis II is planned as a lunar flyby, so astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft will not actually land on the moon. But if the 10-day trip around the moon and return to Earth is successful, it will test the system ahead of NASA’s planned Artemis IV and Artemis V moon missions in 2028, when they aim to land on the moon.

NASA aims to establish a sustained presence on the moon and pave the way for future missions to Mars. That means Artemis II could ultimately be a key step toward humanity colonizing another planet.

Want to know more? You can read my analysis story here.

patrick pester

Popular news writer

2026-03-31T11:14:48.681Z

Mission timeline

Hello Artemis lovers! Senior Staff Writer Harry Baker shares a little about the timeline of NASA’s historic return to (and return to) the Moon.

The Artemis II mission will officially begin as soon as operators give the green light for launch, and the launch team is already hard at work completing a long list of initial pre-flight checks. The quarantined astronauts are also making final preparations before heading to the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida tomorrow (April 1).

We divided the 10-day mission into 12 critical steps, covering everything from launch and maneuvers in low-Earth orbit to a lunar slingshot, record-breaking atmospheric entry, and eventual splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

Personally, my favorite stage is “prox opps”. This will take place approximately three and a half hours after liftoff, and Artemis II pilot Victor Glover will briefly take control of the Orion spacecraft to test its manual thrusters and maneuverability, providing critical data for future Artemis III and Artemis IV missions.

You can read my full text here.

Also, be sure to bookmark this page so you can visit it anytime in the coming weeks.

harry baker

senior staff writer

2026-03-31T11:08:24.464Z

record breaking return

It took a while to get here, but after numerous delays, NASA has announced that the Artemis II mission is finally ready for launch. In addition to being the first step toward NASA’s long-awaited return to the moon, this mission will accomplish a number of firsts. Its crew included the first black astronaut, the first woman, and the first non-American astronaut to visit the moon.

The crew will also break long-standing records. For example, they will be the fastest humans ever to return to Earth, re-entering Earth’s atmosphere at just over 25,000 mph (40,200 km/h) before splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, which would surpass the 1969 re-entry record currently held by the Apollo 10 astronauts.

That’s not all that’s new and record-breaking about this flight. For more information, senior staff writer Harry Baker has the full story here.

2026-03-31T11:02:04.406Z

go to the moon and come back

Good morning, science fans. For the first time since 1972, the countdown clock at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida is now ticking away the hours, minutes and seconds until the launch of a manned mission beyond low-Earth orbit.

With just over a day left until NASA’s Artemis II launch, the mission’s four-person astronaut crew said they are ready for the 10-day, 685,000-mile (1.1 million-kilometer) journey around the moon and back. They will be sent into space by a giant rocket stack 300 feet (98 meters) taller than the Statue of Liberty, which will provide more than 8.8 million pounds (4 million kilograms) of thrust to a capsule the size of a camper.

Live Science will track every moment of this journey, providing the latest information, commentary, expert insights and exclusive coverage from the historic launch.

So buckle up, stop moping, and get ready for humanity to return to its heavenly neighbors.

ben turner

Trend News Deputy Editor