NASA Invites Public to Track Artemis II Moon Mission in Real Time

Artemis Real-time Orbit Website and mobile app allow anyone to follow the Orion spacecraft's journey around the Moon.

Published on Mar. 7, 2026

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NASA is inviting the public to follow the Artemis II mission in real time as a crew of four astronauts venture around the Moon inside the agency's Orion spacecraft. Using the Artemis Real-time Orbit Website (AROW) and a mobile app, anyone with internet access can track Orion's location, distance from Earth and the Moon, mission duration, and other key data during the approximately 10-day mission.

Why it matters

The Artemis II mission is a key step in NASA's Artemis campaign to establish a long-term presence on the Moon and prepare for future crewed missions to Mars. By allowing the public to track the mission in real time, NASA is engaging the broader community and generating excitement around its ambitious lunar exploration goals.

The details

AROW will provide constant information using real-time data from sensors on Orion, beginning about one minute after liftoff through the spacecraft's atmospheric reentry at the end of the mission. The website allows users to visualize Orion's path and location relative to the Earth and Moon, as well as information about past Apollo landing sites. The mobile app includes similar features plus an augmented reality tracker that directs users where to point their phone to see Orion's current position. NASA will also provide downloadable trajectory data that can be used to create custom tracking apps, visualizations, and other projects.

  • Artemis II is scheduled to launch in 2026.
  • The mission will last approximately 10 days.

The players

NASA

The United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the government agency responsible for the Artemis space exploration program.

Orion

NASA's spacecraft that will carry astronauts to the Moon as part of the Artemis missions.

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What’s next

After the successful Artemis II mission, NASA plans to send the first woman and first person of color to the lunar surface as part of the Artemis III mission, currently targeted for the late 2020s.

The takeaway

By allowing the public to track the Artemis II mission in real time, NASA is fostering greater engagement and excitement around its ambitious plans to return humans to the Moon and eventually send the first crewed mission to Mars.