Humans are going back to the moon. Here's how and where to watch

cynthia II’s journeying around the moon on and plump for is upcoming fast, and it’s a mission that may send humans physically farther out in space than we’ve ever gone before. 

They will travel aboard the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and inside the Orion spacecraft, taking off from Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.  

Yeah, so that’s the tricky part. 

The mission has several opportunities, or launch windows, depending on risk and system check clearing. Bear in mind that planned opportunities for this past February and March were both delayed due to hydrogen and helium issues. Weather is another factor, but NASA says things look like an “80 per cent go” for April 1. 

Artemis II launch: Astronauts ready as countdown begins

But to get the right orbital trajectory to the moon and back, it needs to launch at night (at least for East Coasters). So, consider some coffee. 

The first launch attempt window is Wednesday, April 1 from 6:24 p.m. To 8:24 p.m. ET.

If the launch is scrubbed — and that can happen at any time — the next available opportunities are every night from Thursday, April 2 to Monday, April 6. 

And if you really want to get into T-minus territory, NASA has a detailed breakdown of those crucial minutes before liftoff. 

It’s rocket science, yes — but our teams are ready to bring you in on every step of this launch.

Hanomansing Tonight and The National will have live broadcast specials starting around 6 p.m. ET and streamed on YouTube. Ian Hanomansing will be live from Kennedy Space Center. 

To the moon, but not landing on it. Artemis II’s trajectory is a test of crucial systems and how they respond with astronauts on board. 

Originally, it was supposed to be the final test before the next mission — Artemis III — would land astronauts on the moon in 2028. Those plans were recently shaken up by NASA, changing the third Artemis mission to be a low-Earth orbit test and turning Artemis IV — still in 2028 — to be the one that lands on the lunar surface. 

The Artemis missions are meant to be a way of continued presence, science and economic activity on the moon — in the hope of using that knowledge to eventually get to Mars. 

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman wants Americans back at the forefront of space exploration, recently speeding up plans for a moon base and pausing the interim step of establishing an orbital spaceport called Lunar Gateway.

The urgency, he said, was to restore muscle memory and the speed of launches after years of delays. Others point to the progress China has made in its own lunar ambitions, hoping to put its own astronauts on the moon by 2030.

But one step at a time. For now, the furthest ahead is Artemis II — a mission that will last approximately 10 days before splashing back down in the Pacific Ocean. 

---

---