Artemis 2 launch: Livestream info, launch window details
NASA's next moon mission is getting close enough that engineers are about to rehearse the final steps, but the space agency still can't circle a launch date on the calendar for Artemis II.
Teams will have to first run a crucial fueling test soon, loading the Space Launch System rocket with its super-cold propellants and practicing a launch-day countdown. Meanwhile, the Artemis II crew — Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, Christina Hammock Koch, and Jeremy Hansen — have already entered quarantine in Houston ahead of the prospective launch.
Artemis II is the first crewed spaceflight in NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to send astronauts back to the lunar surface and eventually push on toward Mars. But this 10-day mission won’t actually touch down on the moon. Instead, the crew will whiz past it, potentially flying farther from Earth than any humans before them, testing the Orion spaceship's life support, navigation, and communications systems in deep space. The results will shape how NASA flies later missions, including Artemis III, expected to be the first lunar landing of the program.
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UPDATE: Jan. 30, 2026, 11:11 a.m. EST Due to weather conditions in Florida, NASA has pushed the pivotal wet dress rehearsal for the rocket back to 9 p.m. ET Feb. 2, which pushes the earliest possible launch opportunity to Feb. 8. This story has been updated.
With so much riding on the mission, NASA leaders stress they will "fly when we’re ready," not just when weather permits. Read on for Mashable's breakdown of what still has to happen on the ground, when the launch windows open, and how to watch Artemis II when it finally leaves Earth.
When will Artemis 2 launch?
NASA hasn’t set an exact launch date for Artemis II. First, teams will run a full fueling test, called a wet dress rehearsal, at the launchpad at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The team wants to conduct that test as early as 9 p.m. ET Feb. 2. After reviewing the data on how the rocket and ground systems performed, mission management will determine if any February launch opportunities are still realistic.
"With a wet dress that is without significant issues, if everything goes to plan, then certainly there are opportunities within February that could be achievable," said launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson.
But if indeed more work is needed, Artemis II could postpone the flight. NASA has released the launch windows possible in February, March, and April. If the team needs even more time to prepare, short launch windows are available in most of the following months, despite those dates not being released.
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When are the launch windows for Artemis 2?
A launch window is the span of time when a rocket can lift off and still reach its planned target in space. And it's not just at any random time of day. For missions like Artemis II, the rocket has to launch when the geometry and mission rules align.
That means:
the Earth’s rotation lines up the launchpad with the planned path to orbit;
the moon is in the right place so the spacecraft can reach it with its fuel reserves;
the lighting conditions, communications coverage, and safety rules for the airspace and sea space around the launch site are met.
For Artemis II, the launch windows NASA has made public are Feb. 6 through 8 and Feb. 10 through 11; March 6 through 9 and March 11; and April 1, April 3 through 6, and April 30. Due to the timing of the wet dress rehearsal because of weather conditions in Florida, NASA has already announced that Feb. 6 and 7 aren't possible.
Those dates each have different opening times, though all are two hours long, with the exception of March 11's window being one hour and 55 minutes long.
Feb. 8 begins at 11:20 p.m. ET
Feb. 10 begins at 12:06 a.m. ET
Feb. 11 begins at 1:05 a.m. ET
March 6 begins at 8:29 p.m. ET
March 7 begins at 8:57 p.m. ET
March 8 begins at 10:56 p.m. ET
March 9 begins at 11:52 p.m. ET
March 11 begins at 12:48 a.m. ET
April 1 begins at 6:24 p.m. ET
April 3 begins at 8 p.m. ET
April 4 begins at 8:53 p.m. ET
April 5 begins at 9:40 p.m. ET
April 6 begins at 10:36 p.m. ET
April 30 begins at 6:06 p.m. ET
How to watch Artemis 2 launch livestream
Even without knowing the launch details, viewers at home can rest assured that NASA will broadcast all major Artemis II events, including the fueling test and briefings.
People will be able to watch those livestreams in a handful of places online: NASA's YouTube channel; NASA+, the space agency's own free on-demand streaming service; NASA's Facebook page; and NASA's profile on X.com. Other third-party streaming services, such as Apple TV, Netflix, and Hulu, may have ways to watch as well, and those details will become available when the launch date approaches.
Still anxious you'll miss it? No worries. NASA has had a livestream of the mega moon rocket at launchpad 39B since its Jan. 17 rollout from the hangar, the sky-scraping Vehicle Assembly Building. You can see it below. The 322-foot behemoth is still placidly sitting on Earth, awaiting its next historic steps to launch.
Topics NASA
Elisha Sauers writes about space for Mashable, taking deep dives into NASA's moon and Mars missions, chatting up astronauts and history-making discoverers, and jetting above the clouds. Through 17 years of reporting, she's covered a variety of topics, including health, business, and government, with a penchant for public records requests. She previously worked for The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Virginia, and The Capital in Annapolis, Maryland. Her work has earned numerous state awards, including the Virginia Press Association's top honor, Best in Show, and national recognition for narrative storytelling. For each year she has covered space, Sauers has won National Headliner Awards, including first place for her Sex in Space series. Send space tips and story ideas to [email protected] or text 443-684-2489. Follow her on X at @elishasauers.
