GoKawiilLIVE: Artemis II Launch Day Updates
NASA’s Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft lift off from Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, April 1, 2026. The Artemis II test flight will take NASA astronauts Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, on an approximately 10-day mission around the Moon and back to Earth. NASA/Joel Kowsky
Live updates for launch of NASA’s Artemis II test flight will be published on this page. NASA’s launch broadcast coverage is airing on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and YouTube. All times are Eastern.
6:59 p.m.
The Orion spacecraft’s SAWs (solar arrays wings) have fully deployed, completing a key configuration step for the Artemis II mission. Flight controllers in Houston confirmed that all four wings unfolded as planned, locking into place and beginning to draw power.
Each solar array wing extends outward from the European Service Module, giving Orion, named Integrity, a wingspan of roughly 63 feet when fully deployed. Each wing has 15,000 solar cells to convert sunlight to electricity. The arrays can turn on two axes that allow them to rotate and track the Sun, maximizing power generation as the spacecraft changes attitude during its time in Earth orbit and on its outbound journey to the Moon.
The next major milestones are the PRM (perigee raise maneuver) and ARB (apogee raise burn) that will increase the lowest and highest points of the Orion spacecraft’s orbit and prepare the spacecraft for deep‑space operations.
Following the burns, NASA will hold a postlaunch news conference at 9 p.m. from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Following the news conference, the Artemis II crew will begin preparations for Orion’s proximity operations demonstration. This demonstration will test the ability to manually maneuver Orion relative to another spacecraft, in this case, the interim cryogenic propulsion stage after separation.
Coverage on NASA+ will soon conclude, however 24/7 coverage will continue on NASA’s YouTube channel, and keep following the Artemis blog for live updates of key milestones throughout the mission.
6:43 p.m.
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