Watch the Artemis II Moon Mission Launch Guide

Exciting news, space enthusiasts! The United States is gearing up for its first crewed moon mission in over 50 years with the upcoming Artemis II launch. This historic event is set to take place at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Scheduled for lift-off at 6:24 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, April 1, the Artemis II mission will be broadcast live for the world to see. NASA is keeping a close eye on the weather, with an 80% chance of favorable conditions for launch day. If the launch gets postponed, there are backup windows on Thursday, April 2, and Friday, April 3.

To catch all the action, make sure to tune in to NBC News NOW before 6:24 p.m. ET on Wednesday, April 1, or head over to NASA’s YouTube channel for live coverage. The astronauts will circle Earth twice before venturing to the moon, with plans to return 10 days later off the coast of San Diego, California.

The team of four astronauts, including Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen, will be at the helm of this groundbreaking mission. Artemis II aims to test technologies crucial for long-term lunar exploration and future human missions to Mars. With the potential to uncover evidence of past life on Mars, this mission sets the stage for even greater discoveries.

NBC News NOW, a 24/7 streaming network, is your go-to source for witnessing this historic event. Whether you’re watching on NBCNews.com/now, the NBC News app, YouTube, or Peacock, you won’t miss a moment. Join Al Roker at the Kennedy Space Center for live coverage and get ready to witness history in the making with the Artemis II launch!