Launch & ascent
Four astronauts lifted off from Kennedy Space Center aboard SLS and Orion on 1 April 2026.
Watch launch highlights ↗Mission 02 / Complete / Replay available
Mission Replay
Relive Artemis II: the launch, the journey around the Moon and the crew’s return to Earth. NASA’s recorded coverage preserves the first crewed Artemis mission.
- Launch · 1 April 2026
- 22:35 UTC / 18:35 EDT
- NASA mission duration
- 9D 1H 32M
- Splashdown · EDT
- 10 April 2026
Replay available / NASA official coverage
Watch NASA replay
Recorded launch coverage. Watch the NASA broadcast on YouTube ↗
Mission highlights
Around the Moon
The crew observed the lunar surface during Orion’s flyby, before beginning the journey back to Earth.
Watch the lunar flyby ↗Home again / Pacific recovery
Splashdown
Artemis II splashed down in the Pacific on 10 April 2026 at 20:07 EDT — 11 April at 00:07 UTC. Recovery teams brought the crew home after the completed lunar mission.
Explore the mission archive.
Follow the full mission timeline, revisit the Artemis II mission archive, or meet the next crew on the Artemis III Mission page.
Mission dates and duration: NASA Artemis II overview. Replay available; no upcoming launch is implied.