NASA Starts Countdown for Artemis II Moon Mission

The four-person crew will travel farther from Earth than any human before as they test the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft.

Mar. 31, 2026 at 12:08am

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A highly structured abstract painting in muted tones of green, blue, and orange, featuring sweeping geometric arcs, concentric circles, and precise spirals, conceptually representing the complex systems and forces involved in the Artemis II moon mission.NASA's Artemis II mission will test key technologies and pave the way for future crewed lunar landings, as the agency works to establish a sustainable human presence on the moon.Cape Canaveral Today

NASA officials on Monday officially started the two-day countdown to the Artemis II mission launch, which will send a crew of four around the moon. The 10-day mission is the next step in the agency's goal of returning humans to the surface of the moon and establishing a permanent presence there.

Why it matters

The Artemis II mission is a critical test flight that will pave the way for future Artemis missions to land astronauts on the lunar surface. It will demonstrate the capabilities of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft, which are key components of NASA's plan to establish a sustainable human presence on the moon.

The details

The Artemis II crew consists of Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Commander Reid Wiseman, and Pilot Victor Glover. They arrived in Cape Canaveral on Friday and have been in quarantine for a couple of weeks. On launch day, the crew will board the Orion spacecraft at 2:00 p.m. EDT to conduct communication system checks and configure the crew module before the final countdown to liftoff.

  • The Artemis II launch window opens at 6:24 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, March 31, 2026.
  • NASA started the official two-day countdown on Monday, March 30, 2026 at 4:44 p.m. EDT.

The players

NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and space research.

Jeremy Hansen

A Canadian astronaut who is serving as a Mission Specialist on the Artemis II crew.

Christina Koch

An American astronaut who is serving as a Mission Specialist on the Artemis II crew.

Reid Wiseman

An American astronaut who is serving as the Commander of the Artemis II crew.

Victor Glover

An American astronaut who is serving as the Pilot of the Artemis II crew.

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What they’re saying

“The team concluded that everything continues to look good and there are no issues preventing us from pressing ahead.”

— Amit Kshatriya, NASA's Associate Administrator

“At this point, as we enter the pre-launch phase, we are in a strong posture and the mission remains on track.”

— Amit Kshatriya, NASA's Associate Administrator

What’s next

The Artemis II crew will board the Orion spacecraft at 2:00 p.m. EDT on launch day to conduct final checks before liftoff, which is scheduled for 6:24 p.m. EDT.

The takeaway

The Artemis II mission is a critical milestone in NASA's Artemis program, as it will demonstrate the capabilities of the Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft and pave the way for future crewed missions to the lunar surface. The successful completion of this mission will be a significant step towards establishing a sustainable human presence on the moon.