Artemis II’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket lifted off from Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, at 6:35 p.m. EDT (2235 UTC) on April 1, 2026, sending NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen on an approximately 10-day test flight around the Moon and back aboard their Orion spacecraft.

This video includes highlights from the day of launch. Follow along as the four astronauts continue their journey around the Moon and back: www.nasa.gov/ways-to-watch/

Learn more at: www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/

Download: go.nasa.gov/4sQUeCf

Video Producer: Sonnet Apple
Music: Universal Production Music
Credit: NASA