NASA prepares for Artemis II Moon mission launch: When, where and how to watch live stream and India timing

NASA is preparing to launch Artemis II Moon mission. The mission hold much significance as after decades of wait, humanity is heading back to the Moon. The space agency is in the final stretch of preparations for the Artemis II mission, scheduled to launch on Wednesday, April 1 at 6:24 pm EDT from Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.

For viewers in India, that means setting your alarms for the early hours of April 2.

What is Artemis II Moon mission

Artemis II is NASA’s first crewed test flight of its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft, which is the most capable human spaceflight system ever built. The mission will send four astronauts on a loop around the Moon before returning safely to Earth.However, it is important to note that the crew will not land on the Moon this time, and the mission is essentially a dress rehearsal to check whether all the systems are working safely with real astronauts on board before NASA attempts an actual lunar landing under the upcoming Artemis III mission later this decade. Four astronauts will make this journey:

Koch will become the first woman to travel to lunar distance, while Hansen, a Canadian astronaut, will be the first non-American to fly on a Moon mission.

How and where to watch Artemis II Moon mission live

NASA will broadcast full live coverage through NASA's official YouTube channel and NASA+ streaming platform. Coverage kicks off well before liftoff, featuring live footage of rocket fueling, the final countdown, and the launch itself. For viewers in India, the live streaming will start at around 3:50 am IST on April 2.Artemis II reopens the chapter of a new era in human space exploration. The last time astronauts ventured to the Moon was in 1972, during the Apollo 17 mission.

More than 50 years later, NASA is looking to build a permanent human presence on the Moon, particularly near its south pole, a region believed to hold deposits of frozen water that could one day sustain long-term lunar bases.

What comes next

Once Artemis II successfully completes its lunar flyby and the crew returns home safely, NASA will begin preparations for Artemis IIIto put astronauts back on the Moon’s surface for the first time since 1972. That mission, targeted for later this decade, aims to land at the lunar south pole.