It's been 54 years since Apollo 17 landed on the moon. It was the last time astronauts were sent to the moon to walk on it. On April 1st at 6:24 EST Nasa will launch a crew back to the moon on Artemis II providing all goes well. A Ten Day mission they will come within 4600 miles of the moon looping around it testing the spacecraft systems paving the way for Artemis III & IV. Artemis is the program and the launch craft is called the Space Launch System(SLS). The crewed capsule on top of the SLS is called the Orion Capsule. Artemis I, an unmanned flight, launched on Nov 16th, 2022 to the far side of the moon testing the SLS for the first time in space. This is one pic it took

The SLS is assembled/stacked in the Vehicle Assembly Building(VAB) and rolled out to the launch pad using a Crawler Transporter(CT). Originally used to roll the Saturn V for the Apollo program and the shuttle to the launch pad it had to be upgraded to handle this SLS. This is a 4 mile trek to the pad moving at 1 mph takes 12 hours. The CT docks the SLS on the pad and returns to designated parking along side the VAB. The top layer of the Crawlerway, the track, is made up of Alabama River Rock. It is 4 inches thick on straight sections and 8 inches on curves, supported by 4 feet of crushed stone beneath. The gravel acts as a low-friction surface, which reduces the chance of sparks.

Stacking the SLS - the 20 minute version

Artemis II Rollout Timelapse: SLS and Orion Begin 4.2-Mile Journey to Pad 39B

On the right side of the VAB is Launch Control. Here they, along with the crew inside the Orion, take a cold rocket and turn it on step by step launching the astronauts at T-zero

My brother and his wife came to visit us last week from Phoenix. We took them to Kennedy Space Center. WE went on the VIP tour which took us inside to the launching grounds via bus. We stopped at SpaceX to see a Falcon 9(watch the launch video) on the launch pad where it was set to launch in 2 days with Starlink satelites on board. I watched this launch as I have many others from my back yard. Artemis had been rolled out of the VAB for an earlier launch date but during a full dress out rehearsal a hydrogen leak was detected and forced a roll back to the VAB for repairs. As luck would have it Artemis II was rolled back out to the launch pad the night before our visit allowing us to get an unbelievable look at it on the pad. After a few more stops giving us great views of the launching grounds our next stop was Artemis. We got within a thousand feet, 3 football fields, of Artemis II on the launch pad. This was one of the most awesome sites I had ever seen. It felt like we could reach out and touch it. Our last stop on the tour was the VAB for a few more pics. This launch has special meaning for us besides launching humans back to the moon

I did not take this pic but we stopped in the same location to take pics - Artemis

Pic of the roll-up to the launch platform. The CT keeps it level - almost there


Artemis Program - check out the Missions

Artemis II ---- The Crew

Orion Space Craft
Orion Reference Guide - this is one sophisticated capsule

I will explain what to expect on launch day. Nasa will cover Artemis II live 24/7 from launch day until splashdown. They will be holding nothing back on this mission

In the meantime you can watch the SLS live until launch day

Thanks so much for this post, Orion! Very informative and helpful. You are lucky to have gotten to see some of this.

That's a lot of information, Orion! Sounds like you had a great time on the tour and with your brother!

I am so anxious for this launch to happen. Thank you for all the information... space is so fascinating to me.

Cool. Thanks for sharing

Yes this is going to be very exciting Drac. Here are a few ways to watch ... Nasa Live. Our locals will be carrying it all day long. Check your locals

NASA's Set Coverage for Artemis II Moon Mission

I would advise checking in at 7am EST on the 1st. 7:45am - Coverage of tanking operations to load propellant into the SLS rocket begins, including views of the rocket and audio from a commentator

I have followed many Shuttle launches and I know how they ran their live operations. As I said Nasa will hold nothing back on this coverage, it is gonna be phenomenal. At some point we will join up with the astronauts in the suit-up room. From there it will be one continuous ride. They will get into a Crew Transportation Vehicle(CTV) that will take them on that 4 mile journey to the SLS. Helicopters will follow them to the SLS for security and views. They will exit the CTV, take a good look at their ride then head to the elevator. At the top they will walk down the walkway to the White Room which is positioned right outside the Orion Capsule. Here the astronauts get their final prep before entering Orion. One at a time they'll get strapped in and start checking their comms. There will be cameras inside the Orion to watch the process. The hatch gets closed, communications between launch control and the astronauts has begun as they continue to turn that rocket on.

There will be special reports along the way talking everything Artemis during the live broadcast. During the entire process the countdown continues, the rocket comes alive starting to breath and then..... 10..9..8..7..6, the core stage ignites 5..4..3..2..1..0, the 2 solid rocket boosters ignite and the SLS lifts off the pad with 4 astronauts on board heading for a journey around the moon. There will be live shots inside and outside the craft during launch

Once the SLS clears the tower Mission Control takes over the mission in Houston TX until splashdown 10 days later

Lets hope all goes well not only for the launch but for the Artemis II crew as well


Official Broadcast - 24/7 streaming coverage of Artemis II operations and mission updates will be available on our YouTube channel

Nasa Youtube

Thanks for the links and information Orion.

Thanks Orion, I went to the Space Center with hubby and the boys many years ago. So much has changed over the years.

Can't wait for this mission and the follow-on in '28. Brings back so many memories of our space program ever since sputnik

Launch Pad 39B

There are three 600 foot tall static towers surrounding the launch complex. They serve as a lightning protection system shielding the rocket and launch complex from a strike running a strike into the ground. We are the lightning capitol in the US. 11 people struck, 4 killed in 2025

The water tank seen is a sound suppression water system, or water deluge system. It releases hundreds of thousands of gallons of water onto a launch pad in seconds to absorb extreme acoustic energy and vibrations during rocket launches. This protects the vehicle and payload from damaging sound waves, while also cooling the structure


Zoom in on the tanks - There are 2 white storage tanks on Pad 39B, one holds liquid oxygen(-297F) and the other liquid hydrogen(-423F) both supper cooled propellants. Combined at launch they power the SLS' main engine, the Core Stage

Arial View zoom in. Click on crawlerways and some roads to get a 360 ground panorma view of the area. You can also travel down roads/crawlerways


First Time - You can back this pic up to get a read on Launch Complex 39

Interesting information, Orion.

"I watched this launch as I have many others from my back yard." How close are you to all of this?

I am 52 miles from the cape. From here a launch looks like a very bright flare rising into the sky. Evening or early morning launches are the best. I use a pair of image stabilizing binoculars to watch launches. I can see the SpaceX first stage separate and start to orientate itself to land back at the cape or on a barge out in the Atlantic. Six min into flight there is a entry burn of the first stage to slow it down. I set a timer to go off so I can watch the burn, nights are so cool to watch. There is a landing burn to follow but I can't see that

EDIT: A SpaceX launch just went off at 5:15 today carrying more Starlinks. I watched it on the computer while I was typing this. Here it is: Launch - run the slider to 12 minutes for launch. 2:30 into flight the first stage separates. Scroll to 6 min for the entry burn and follow it down. A barge landing - Droneship - Click on pic

SpaceX

Launches

I never would have thought about that water deluge system. that is so interesting. I am hoping to watch the launch. All the links you posted are so interesting. Thanks for that.

Me either, mbday - especially used for sound deadening!

Very Exciting !! …. All of it

The Artemis Program, the SLS , Air and Water Restrictions

The Artemis program was named after the greek goddess of the moon and wilderness. She is the Apollo's twin sister connecting the new lunar missions to the historic Apollo flights.

The Artemis Program started in 1917 with jots on paper. Eventually the idea would be handed to Boeing for continued designing and construction of the SLS...Northrop Grumman designed and built the solid rocket boosters and along with Lockheed Martin designed and built the Orion spacecraft’s Launch Abort System (LAS), a critical safety system that helps the crew module escape in the event of an emergency on pad or during ascent. Lockheed Martin designed and built the crew module, the Orion capsule. The European Space Agency along with Airbus Defence and Space designed and manufactured the Service Module. This module is Orion's powerhouse. It handles propulsion, supplies electricity, life support, temperature control, supplies oxygen and water for the crew and can hold cargo for the mission. Nasa led the way with the overall design of the SLS using multiple contractor contributions

Artemis II Reference Guide

For the Artemis II launch authorities have established strict no-fly and no-watercraft zones around the Kennedy Space Center(KSC) to ensure public safety. Beaches north and south of the KSC will be closed. They are usually open for launches - A United Launch Alliance Delta 2 rocket launches NASA’s twin GRAIL spacecraft on a mission to the Moon. There have been times private aircraft and/or watercraft have entered restricted areas putting a launch on hold until the invaded space has been cleared. For the Artemis II launch restricted areas have been increased. Effective Dates: From 12:00 AM on March 20, 2026, through 12:00 AM on April 26, 2026

Videos:

Artemis II: Everything You Need To Know!

Artemis II Explained | 2026 Mission to the Moon

WE ARE GOING BACK!


Artemis II Live


Enjoy the Launch! - Weather 80% a GO