When did Artemis 2 launch?

April 1, 2026, at 6:35 PM EDT (22:35 UTC).

How long is the Artemis 2 mission?

About 234 hours, or just under 10 days.

Human lunar flight telemetry

Artemis 2 Live TrackerMission Graphic, Telemetry and Live Video

Track Orion's simulated live position, richer mission telemetry, and embedded mission video coverage in one mission-control style homepage.

Scroll to TrackOutbound translunar coast

Mission video

Watch the embedded coverage feed

Coverage

Embedded mission video for users who want telemetry and video side by side.

Telemetry sync

Use the live metrics panel to compare mission video commentary with simulated flight status.

Current phase

Outbound translunar coast

Mission scrubber

Drag the timeline to preview any mission moment

Live Mode

LaunchLunar flybySplashdown

Selected MET

T+4d 05:40

Mission date

Apr 6, 04:15

Mission progress

43.5%

Live tracker MET

T+4d 05:40

Current phase

Outbound translunar coast

Next maneuver

Live ETA

Lunar SOI Entry

Orion enters the Moon gravitational sphere of influence.

16h

19m

31s

Spacecraft velocity

9,758

km/h

Mach 7.9

Distance from Earth

259,469

Record 64.8%

Distance from Moon

60,279

Relative 7,018 km/h

Signal one-way

0.87

seconds

Round trip 1.73 s

Altitude above Earth

259,469

G-force 0.18 g

Cumulative path

404,961

132.3 h remaining

Cabin temperature

23.3

deg C

Sunlit hull 143 deg C

Comms status

NOMINAL LINK

link

Heatshield 24 deg C

Mission trajectory graphic

Earth, Moon and Orion visual legend

Live T+4d 05:40

Passed track

Bright cyan segment shows the arc completed at the selected mission moment.

Future track

Dashed blue line shows the remaining route after the current or preview position.

Current range

259,469 km from Earth and 60,279 km from the Moon.

Mode

Real-time mission mode synced to current wall clock.

System health

GuidanceNominal

CommunicationsStable

Life SupportOptimal

RadiationWatch

Mission timeline

Launch - LC-39B

MET +0.0h

SLS lifts off from Kennedy Space Center.

MECO + LAS Jettison

MET +0.1h

Core stage separation and ascent abort system jettison.

Solar Array Deploy

MET +0.3h

Orion deploys all four solar arrays.

ICPS Burns

MET +0.8h

Parking orbit raise and setup burns.

Proximity Ops Demo

MET +4.5h

Crew tests Orion handling near the ICPS stage.

ICPS Disposal

MET +5.5h

Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage disposal maneuver.

High Earth Orbit

MET +24.0h

Crew completes checkout while in high Earth orbit.

Translunar Injection

MET +25.5h

A 30-minute burn sends Orion toward the Moon.

Trajectory Correction 1

MET +72.0h

Outbound mid-course correction burn.

Trajectory Correction 2

MET +96.0h

Pre-flyby trim burn before lunar encounter.

Lunar SOI Entry

MET +118.0h

Orion enters the Moon gravitational sphere of influence.

Closest Approach - Moon

MET +130.0h

Approx. 9,650 km above the lunar surface.

Human Distance Record

MET +131.0h

Projected to exceed the Apollo 13 distance record.

Far Side Blackout

MET +132.0h

Communications blackout behind the Moon for about 45 minutes.

Free-Return Slingshot

MET +140.0h

Lunar gravity redirects Orion back toward Earth.

Radiation Shielding Test

MET +192.0h

Crew conducts deep-space radiation surveys.

Reentry Preparation

MET +216.0h

Cabin and recovery systems are configured for return.

CM / SM Separation

MET +232.0h

Crew module separates from service module.

Atmospheric Reentry

MET +233.5h

Heat shield reaches peak thermal load.

Splashdown - Pacific Ocean

MET +234.0h

Recovery forces retrieve the Orion crew module.

The crew

Four Pioneers

The most diverse deep-space crew in history. Each astronaut carries a milestone that permanently changes the human lunar timeline.

Reid Wiseman

Commander

NASA · USA · CDR-01

Historic first

Leads the first Artemis crewed lunar mission.

Mission commander responsible for vehicle command, crew coordination, and final go or no-go decisions.

Wiseman is a former NASA chief astronaut and the crew lead for Artemis II mission execution from launch through splashdown.

Primary focus

Mission command and deep-space operations

Victor Glover

Pilot

NASA · USA · PLT-02

Historic first

First person of color to travel beyond low Earth orbit.

Primary spacecraft pilot overseeing guidance workflows, attitude awareness, and crew vehicle systems.

Glover supports navigation, flight systems, and high-value piloting demos during the outbound and return phases.

Primary focus

Vehicle piloting and systems monitoring

Christina Koch

Mission Specialist 1

NASA · USA · MS1-03

Historic first

First woman assigned to travel beyond low Earth orbit.

Leads crew procedures, science operations, and onboard timeline execution throughout the mission profile.

Koch brings long-duration spaceflight experience and anchors the mission specialist workload across the translunar flight plan.

Primary focus

Science operations and procedural execution

Jeremy Hansen

Mission Specialist 2

CSA · Canada · MS2-04

Historic first

First non-US astronaut assigned to a lunar flyby mission.

Supports mission communications, international mission coordination, and navigation task execution.

Hansen represents the Canadian Space Agency on the first international crewed lunar mission of the Artemis era.

Primary focus

Communications and international operations

What Is the Artemis 2 Tracker?

Artemis 2 Tracker is a real-time mission visualization experience for NASA's first crewed lunar flight of the Artemis era. It models Orion's position, velocity, distances from Earth and Moon, and current mission phase using the published Artemis II timeline.

The dashboard combines a trajectory map, mission elapsed time, key maneuver countdowns, crew context, and structured search-friendly content around the mission.

Launch Date	April 1, 2026, 6:35 PM EDT
Launch Vehicle	Space Launch System Block 1
Spacecraft	Orion
Crew Size	4 astronauts
Mission Duration	~234 hours
Closest Lunar Flyby	~9,650 km from surface
Record Distance	400,171+ km from Earth
Recovery Zone	Pacific Ocean

How Does the Artemis 2 Tracker Work?

Mission timeline model

The tracker aligns a mission clock to the official launch time of April 1, 2026, 22:35 UTC and maps milestone windows to live states.

Physics-inspired telemetry

Speed, g-load, signal delay, temperatures, and distance metrics are simulated from phase-specific ranges and orbital waypoints.

Canvas trajectory map

A figure-8 inspired Earth-to-Moon path is rendered in canvas with zoom controls, giving users a visual sense of the outbound coast, flyby, and free-return arc.

Frequently Asked Questions

Artemis II launched on April 1, 2026, at 6:35 PM EDT, which is 22:35 UTC.