NASA Announces Coverage for Artemis’ First Crewed Lunar Mission

NASA will stream prelaunch, launch, and mission events for the Artemis II flight. The agency is targeting no earlier than April 1 for the launch window.

Mission overview

Artemis II is the program’s first crewed lunar flight. The mission will depart from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The crew includes Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. The flight will last about ten days and include a lunar flyby.

Objectives

Teams will test life support systems aboard the Orion spacecraft with people on board. The mission will also help prepare future crewed Artemis missions.

Coverage plans

NASA announces coverage across multiple channels for the upcoming activity. This effort supports Artemis’ first crewed lunar mission.

Live broadcasts will appear on the agency’s YouTube channel and on NASA+. Streams will include briefings, launch coverage, and continuous mission updates.

Real-time mission media

NASA will offer a separate live stream of Orion views as bandwidth permits. Daily status briefings will originate from Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Those briefings begin April 2, with the exception of April 6 because of lunar flyby operations. Exact downlink times will post on the Artemis blog and launch events page.

Key prelaunch and launch events (all times Eastern)

• Friday, March 27 — 2:15 p.m.: Agency leaders will greet the crew at Kennedy Space Center. Crew members will address reporters in person.
• Sunday, March 29 — 11:30 a.m.: Virtual Q&A with the astronauts from their quarantine facility.
• Sunday, March 29 — 2 p.m.: News conference with a status update for launch preparations.
• Monday, March 30 — 5 p.m.: Post-mission management meeting briefing and update on launch readiness.
• Tuesday, March 31 — 1 p.m.: Prelaunch news conference with mission officials.
• Wednesday, April 1 — 7:45 a.m.: Coverage begins for rocket tanking operations and views of the SLS.
• Wednesday, April 1 — 12:50 p.m.: NASA+ coverage of the launch begins and continues on YouTube after solar array deployment.
• Approximately 2.5 hours after launch: Postlaunch news conference following the upper stage burn to send Orion toward high Earth orbit.

How to watch and participate

Members of the public may register to attend the launch virtually. The virtual guest program includes curated resources and launch notifications.

Updates during the countdown and the mission will appear on Filmogaz.com. Mission imagery will be collected in the official multimedia gallery.

Audio and local reception

An audio-only broadcast will be available by phone. Dial 256-715-9946 and enter passcode 682 040 632.

Local listeners on Florida’s Space Coast can tune to VHF 146.940 MHz or UHF 444.925 MHz for launch audio via amateur radio feeds.

Media and credentialing

The deadline for in-person media accreditation has already passed. The agency’s media credentialing policy remains available online.

Media must RSVP at least two hours before each Johnson Space Center briefing to [email protected].

Additional contacts and support

For media questions at Kennedy Space Center, contact [email protected]. For NASA+ feed requests, contact [email protected].

Press contacts listed for this coverage include Cheryl Warner and Lauren Low at Headquarters, Tiffany Fairley at Kennedy, and Chelsey Ballarte at Johnson Space Center.