NASA’s first moon mission in decades is go for launch as of today! Artemis II, which consists of crew members Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, will liftoff on Wednesday, April 1. As astronomy enthusiasts prepare to watch the liftoff, many are wondering where Artemis II is launching from and when they can see it.
The mission is a first for many, as the first woman (Koch), Black man (Glover) and Canadian (Hansen) will travel near the moon. However, Koch and Glover have downplayed their individual significances in their mission to celebrate themselves as a group.
“It’s not about celebrating any one individual,” Koch said during the crew’s final press conference earlier this week. “If there’s something to celebrate, it’s that we are at a time when anyone who has a dream gets to work equally hard to achieve that dream. If we’re not going for all and by all, we’re not truly answering all of humanity’s call to explore.”
Glover echoed Koch’s sentiment by saying, “I live in this dichotomy between happiness that a young woman can look at Christina and just physicalize her passion or her interests … that young brown boys and girls can look at me and go, ‘Hey, he looks like me, and he’s doing what?’ And that’s great. I love that.”
“But I also hope we are pushing the other direction, that one day we don’t have to talk about these firsts, that one day this is human history, the story of humanity, not Black history, not women’s history,” Glover concluded.
According to NASA, Artemis II should further help us understand how space travel affects a human’s mind, body and their overall behavior. Research from this mission will also help NASA improve protocols and interventions to protect future astronauts.
Learn all about the Artemis II launch below.
When Is the Artemis 2 Launch?
Artemis II is set to launch on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.
Where Is Artemis 2 Launching From?
Artemis II will launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
What Time Is the Artemis 2 Launch?
Artemis II is expected to launch at 6:24 p.m. ET on April 1.
