NASA Sets Coverage for Artemis II Moon Mission

Editor’s note: NASA will continuously update this Artemis II briefings and mission events page throughout prelaunch, launch, and mission activities.

NASA will provide live coverage of prelaunch, launch, and mission events for the agency’s upcoming Artemis II crewed test flight around the Moon. Launch is targeted for no earlier than 6:24 p.m. EDT Wednesday, April 1, with a two-hour launch window. Additional opportunities for launch run through Monday, April 6.

Artemis II is NASA’s first crewed mission under the Artemis program and will launch from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It will send NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen on an approximately 10-day journey around the Moon. Launching on NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, the agency will test the Orion spacecraft’s life support systems for the first time with humans aboard, helping lay the groundwork for future crewed Artemis missions.

Briefings, events, and 24/7 mission coverage will be on the agency’s YouTube channel, and events will each have their own stream closer to their start time.

Watch agency launch, lunar flyby, and splashdown coverage on NASA+ and Amazon Prime. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of online platforms, including social media.

For information on obtaining feeds, email the NASA+ programming at team at: nasa-dl-nasaplus-programming@mail.nasa.gov.

The deadline for media accreditation for in-person coverage of launch and mission events has passed. The agency’s media credentialing policy is available online. For questions about media accreditation at NASA Kennedy, please email: ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov. For questions about media accreditation at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, please email: jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov.

A limited number of seats inside the Kennedy auditorium will be available during prelaunch briefings to previously credentialed journalists on a first-come, first-served basis. To participate by telephone, media must RSVP no later than two hours before the start of each briefing to: ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.

Beginning Thursday, April 2, briefings will occur from NASA Johnson. To participate by telephone in these briefings, media must RSVP no later than two hours before the start of each briefing to the Johnson newsroom at: jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov.

The time of events is subject to change. All events are listed in Eastern Time.

Friday, March 27

2:30 p.m.: The Artemis II crew will arrive at Kennedy and answer questions from credentialed media in attendance. Agency leadership, including NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, also will attend, along with CSA (Canadian Space Agency) President Lisa Campbell.

Available for questions are:

• Reid Wiseman, commander, NASA astronaut
• Victor Glover, pilot, NASA astronaut,  
• Christina Koch, mission specialist, NASA astronaut
• Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist, CSA astronaut

Sunday, March 29

9:30 a.m.: The Artemis II crew members will virtually answer reporters’ questions from their quarantine facility.

2 p.m.: NASA will hold a status update on preparations for launch with the following participants:

• Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate
• Shawn Quinn, program manager, Exploration Ground Systems
• Howard Hu, manager, Orion Program
• Chris Cianciola, deputy manager, SLS Program

Monday, March 30

5 p.m.: Following a key mission meeting, NASA will host a news conference to provide a status update on preparations for launch. NASA participants include:

• Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya
• John Honeycutt, chair, Mission Management Team
• Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, launch director
• Emily Nelson, chief flight director

Tuesday, March 31

1 p.m.: NASA will hold a prelaunch news conference on countdown status with the following participants:

• Launch team representative
• Mark Burger, launch weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron Cape Canaveral Space Force Station   

Wednesday, April 1

7:45 a.m.: Coverage of tanking operations to load propellant into the SLS rocket begins, including views of the rocket and audio from a commentator.

12:50 p.m.: NASA+ coverage of launch begins. Coverage continues on YouTube after Orion’s solar array wings deploy in space.

Approximately two-and-a-half hours after launch, NASA will hold a post-launch news conference after the SLS rocket’s upper stage performs a burn to send Orion and its crew to high Earth orbit. The start time is subject to change, based on the exact liftoff time. This postlaunch news conference will include the following participants:

• Administrator Jared Isaacman
• Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya
• Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate
• John Honeycutt, chair, Mission Management Team
• Norm Knight, director, Flight Operations Directorate

Mission Coverage

NASA’s real-time coverage will continue throughout the mission on YouTube. The agency also will provide a separate live stream of views from the Orion spacecraft, as bandwidth allows.

The agency will provide daily mission status briefings from NASA Johnson beginning April 2, except for April 6, due to lunar flyby activities. Times are subject to change based on the exact time of launch and mission operations.

The crew will participate in live conversations throughout the mission, known as downlinks. NASA will provide the exact times of each of these downlink events in the Artemis blog and on this page.

Times below are subject to change based on the exact time of launch and mission operations.

Thursday, April 2

8:30 p.m.: Mission status media briefing after the translunar injection burn to send the crew in Orion toward the Moon.

10:24 p.m.: Live downlink event

Friday, April 3

3:30 p.m.: Mission status briefing

8:44 p.m.: Live downlink event

Saturday, April 4

12:59 a.m.: Live CSA downlink event

4:34 p.m.: Live downlink event

5:15 p.m.: Mission status briefing

Sunday, April 5

12:14 a.m.: Live CSA downlink event

3:30 p.m.: Mission status briefing

Monday, April 6

12:45 p.m.: NASA+ coverage of lunar flyby begins.

1:45 p.m.: For a launch on April 1, the crew is expected to surpass the record for human’s farthest distance from Earth previously set by Apollo 13, at 248,655 miles from Earth.

Additionally, for a launch that day, video during the lunar flyby may be limited while the spacecraft flies through an eclipse. The crew also is expected to temporarily experience a loss of communications with Earth as the Orion flies behind the Moon’s far side.

10:39 p.m.: Live downlink event

Tuesday, April 7

2:29 p.m.: The Artemis II crew will speak with the astronauts aboard the International Space Station in an audio-only conversation.

4 p.m.: Mission status briefing

Wednesday, April 8

3:30 p.m.: Mission status briefing

7:09 p.m.: Live CSA downlink event

Thursday, April 9

3:30 p.m.: Mission status briefing

5:59 p.m.: Crew news conference

7:54 p.m.: Live downlink event

Friday, April 10

6:30 p.m.: NASA+ coverage of the crew’s return to Earth begins

8:06 p.m.: Splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. NASA and U.S. Department of War personnel are expected to assist the crew out of Orion and fly them to a waiting recovery ship.

10:35 p.m.: Post-splashdown news conference at NASA Johnson

Details on the astronauts’ return to Houston will be shared later.

NASA website launch, mission coverage

NASA will provide updates during the launch countdown and throughout mission on the Artemis blog.

Throughout the mission, the latest imagery will be available at: Artemis II Multimedia

To track Orion in space, visit: nasa.gov/trackartemis

Attend launch virtually

Members of the public may register to attend this launch virtually. NASA’s virtual guest program for this mission includes curated launch resources, notifications about related opportunities or changes, and a stamp for the NASA virtual guest passport following launch.

Audio-only launch coverage

Media may listen to the audio-only coverage of the tanking and launch broadcast by dialing 256-715-9946, passcode 682 040 632. For those in Brevard County on the Space Coast, launch audio also will be available on Launch Information Service and Amateur Television System’s VHF radio frequency 146.940 MHz and KSC Amateur Radio Club’s UHF radio frequency 444.925 MHz, FM mode.

As part of Golden Age of innovation and exploration, NASA will send Artemis astronauts on increasingly difficult missions to explore more of the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build on our foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.

To learn more about the Artemis program, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis

-end-

Powered by WPeMatico

Get The Details…
Lauren E. Low

Artemis Moon Tree Dedicated in Honor of Mary W. Jackson

On March 18, 2026, students, staff, and members of NASA’s Langley Research Center gathered at Mary W. Jackson Elementary School in Hampton to celebrate the dedication of a remarkable addition to the campus – an Artemis Moon Tree. Although formally dedicated on this day, the loblolly pine had already taken root months earlier, having been planted on November 21^st, 2025, by students and staff.

NASA eClips educators from the National Institute of Aerospace’s Center for Integrative STEM Education (NIA-CISE) applied for and received the Artemis Moon Tree through NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement. NASA eClips, part of NASA’s Science Activation Program, strives to deepen science literacy by engaging learners and educators in experiences and standards-aligned resources grounded in NASA science.

The tree’s journey is as extraordinary as its setting. The seed orbited the Moon in 2022 as part of the Artemis I before returning to Earth, where it was nurtured into a sapling by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. In late spring 2025, it arrived in Hampton and was cared for by NASA eClips educators at NIA-CISE until it could be planted by third- through fifth-grade students at Mary W. Jackson Elementary School. The planting site was chosen to honor the legacy of Mary W. Jackson, NASA’s first Black female engineer.

In addition to recognizing current and former members of NASA Langley Research Center in attendance, the ceremony highlighted the collaboration that brought the project to life. A short video showcased the teamwork behind the tree’s planting, reflecting the coordination essential to NASA missions. Students worked in groups – Earth Excavators, Compost Crew, Mulch Movers, and Water Brigade – to carefully plant the tree. Fifth-grader Caiden captured the experience best: “My job was putting soil around the tree, and at first, it seemed like a small task, but I realized it was actually one of the most important parts. The soil is what helps the tree stand strong and grow over time. It made me think about how, in life, the little things we do – like helping others, staying consistent, and doing our part – can make a big difference. Just like this tree came from a seed that traveled around the moon, we all have the potential to go far and do amazing things, but we need a strong foundation to grow…I’m proud that I helped give this tree its start, and I’ll always remember that even small actions can lead to something big.” The ceremony concluded at the planting site with an official ribbon cutting, marking the beginning of the tree’s life as a centerpiece of the school community.

Mary W. Jackson Elementary School’s Artemis Moon Tree also serves as a “bookend” to an Apollo Moon Tree, a sycamore tree that was planted on April 30, 1976, at Albert W. Patrick Elementary School (formerly Booker Elementary School). Together, these trees represent generations of exploration, linking past and present NASA missions in a living timeline of discovery. Their presence in Hampton is especially meaningful, as the city was home to NASA’s earliest research efforts and to the astronauts of Project Mercury, as well as pioneering mathematicians and engineers including Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Christine Darden – trailblazers who, like Mary W. Jackson, helped shape the nation’s journey into space.

The Artemis Moon Tree stands as a living symbol of exploration, curiosity, and scientific discovery – hallmarks of NASA. Entrusted to the care of the students and staff at Mary W. Jackson Elementary, who represent the next generation of thinkers, innovators, and explorers, it will continue to serve as a source of learning and inspiration for years to come.

Explore More

6 min read

Science Through Shadows: How Astronomical Alignments Reveal the Universe

When one celestial object passes in front of another, it can cast a shadow that…

Article


2 days ago

5 min read

Astronomy Activation Ambassadors: Embracing Multiple Perspectives

The Astronomy Activation Ambassadors (AAA) project, part of the NASA Science Activation program, aims to…

Article


1 month ago

4 min read

March 2026 Total Lunar Eclipse: Your Questions Answered

A total lunar eclipse will redden the Moon in the early morning hours of March…

Article


2 months ago

Keep Exploring

Discover More Topics From NASA

James Webb Space Telescope

Webb is the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It studies every phase in the…

Perseverance Rover

This rover and its aerial sidekick were assigned to study the geology of Mars and seek signs of ancient microbial…

Parker Solar Probe

On a mission to “touch the Sun,” NASA’s Parker Solar Probe became the first spacecraft to fly through the corona…

Juno

NASA’s Juno spacecraft entered orbit around Jupiter in 2016, the first explorer to peer below the planet’s dense clouds to…

Powered by WPeMatico

Get The Details…

NASA Names Jennifer Lyons Acting Launch Services Program Manager

NASA has selected Jennifer Lyons as acting program manager for the agency’s Launch Services Program (LSP) based at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In this role, Lyons will lead NASA’s acquisition and management of domestic commercial launch services for science and robotic exploration missions beginning Wednesday, April 1.

Lyons will oversee mission planning, launch vehicle selection, spacecraft integration, launch processing, launch campaigns, and postlaunch activities. The program matches spacecraft with the most suitable commercial rockets and ensures mission requirements are met from early planning through launch and mission completion. It supports NASA missions that observe Earth, explore the solar system, and expand understanding of the universe.

“Jenny brings the kind of flight-readiness discipline and mission-assurance expertise that have defined the program’s 25‑year record of more than 100 successful flights across 15 commercial rocket types,” said Bradley Smith, director of NASA’s Launch Services Office at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “In addition to being the transportation cornerstone of NASA’s science and robotic exploration missions, commercial launch is also critically important to NASA’s Artemis architecture. Jenny’s experience in having worked across many NASA projects — from space shuttle to the International Space Station, to Commercial Crew, and partnering with commercial providers — will enable LSP to continue bringing its core launch vehicle capabilities to bear, ensuring successful outcomes.”

Lyons brings nearly four decades of technical, operational, and program leadership experience to the role. She served as the launch services deputy program manager since March 2024 and previously was deputy manager for the Gateway Program’s Deep Space Logistics project. She has worked with launch services for nearly 20 years and led the Fleet and Systems Management Division for more than a decade, overseeing NASA insight and approval activities related to launch vehicle readiness, certification, and mission assurance across a diverse fleet of commercial rockets.

“I am honored to take on this important role supporting NASA’s science and exploration missions,” said Lyons. “I am confident our team will remain focused on delivering safe, reliable launch services while strengthening a healthy commercial market that enables discoveries across the solar system and beyond.”

Lyons has received numerous individual achievement, group, and leadership awards. She holds degrees in aerospace and ocean engineering, space technology, and engineering management. Her career includes a wide range of experiences, including serving as the first woman to act as NASA convoy commander for a space shuttle landing to chairing the source evaluation board for NASA Launch Services II, under which NASA has awarded multiple contracts that support many of the agency’s high-priority missions.

She succeeds Albert Sierra, who led the program since March 2024 and is retiring after 36 years of service with NASA. Sierra guided the program through five primary missions and numerous venture‑class launches that provided a steady cadence of flights for the agency. These missions ranged from major weather and Earth‑observing satellites to deep‑space probes, astrophysics and solar‑monitoring observatories, and many CubeSats.

“Leading LSP has been one of the greatest privileges of my career, especially knowing the missions we’ve launched will fuel discovery for years to come,” said Sierra. “While it’s never easy to step away, I’m confident the program will continue its strong record of mission success under Jenny’s leadership.”

Powered by WPeMatico

Get The Details…
Leejay Lockhart

Kona Storms Flood Oʻahu

January 25, 2026

March 14, 2026

January 25, 2026March 14, 2026

January 25, 2026

March 14, 2026

January 25, 2026 – March 14, 2026

CurtainToggle2-Up

Image Details

Floodwaters pool in neighborhoods and on farmland, while a plume of sediment spreads into the coastal ocean (right) on March 14, 2026, after the first of two kona lows dropped copious rain on O’ahu, Hawaii. The same location is pictured free of floodwater (left) on January 25, 2026. Both images were acquired with the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 9.

Back-to-back low-pressure systems struck Hawaii in March 2026, delivering some of the worst flooding the state has seen in decades. The subtropical weather systems—called kona lows near Hawaii—siphoned moisture from the tropics, fueling slow-moving thunderstorms with torrential, destructive rains.

The National Weather Service reported rainfall totals of 5 to 10 inches (13 to 26 centimeters) throughout the state between March 11 and 15, with some areas seeing more than 30 inches. Weather stations in Honolulu, Hilo, Līhuʻe, and Kahului all broke daily rainfall records.

The satellite image on the right shows swamped neighborhoods and farmland between Mokuleia and Waialua on the island of O’ahu on March 14, 2026, after the first and more destructive storm system hit the island. Plumes of suspended sediment have discolored waters in and around Kaiaka Bay. Hawaii’s volcanic Hilo soils are known for being red due to the high levels of iron and aluminum oxide that accumulate as they weather. For comparison, the image on the left shows the same area on January 25, 2026, before the deluge.

Preliminary assessments indicate that hundreds of homes in O’ahu sustained damage. Farmers on the island and across the state reported millions of dollars in damage, according to news reports. The storm produced widespread wind gusts between 60 and 75 miles (97 and 121 kilometers) per hour, with gusts in some places reaching 100 miles per hour. As many as 115,000 O’ahu residents faced power outages in the storm’s aftermath.

While the most intense rains had subsided by March 24, forecasters are continuing to monitor unsettled weather and the possibility of more flash floods in the coming days.

NASA’s Disasters Response Coordination System has been activated to support the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency’s response to the storms. The team will be posting maps and data products on its open-access mapping portal as new information becomes available.

NASA Earth Observatory images by Lauren Dauphin, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Adam Voiland.

Downloads

January 25, 2026

JPEG (3.99 MB)

March 14, 2026

JPEG (3.18 MB)

References & Resources

• Associated Press (2026, March 24) Here’s what to know as the scope of damage from Hawaii’s floods becomes clearer. Accessed March 24, 2026.
• City and County of Honolulu (2026) Kona Low Storm Recovery. Accessed March 24, 2026.  
• County of Maui (2026) March Kona Storm Informational Page. Accessed March 24, 2026.  
• FEMA, via Esri (2026) Flooding: Hawaii. Accessed March 24, 2026.  
• Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency (2026, March 16) March 2026 Kona Low. Accessed March 24, 2026.  
• Honolulu Civil Beat (2026, March 23) Mud, Mud And More Mud: Residents Of Oʻahu’s North Shore Start To Dig Out. Accessed March 24, 2026.
• NASA (2026) Disasters Mapping Portal. Accessed March 24, 2026.
• NASA Earthdata (2025) Floods Learning Resources. Accessed March 24, 2026.
• National Weather Service (2026, March 16) Rainfall and wind summaries from March 10-16. Accessed March 24, 2026.
• National Weather Service (2026, March 16) State Forecast. Accessed March 24, 2026.
• USA Today (2026, March 24) Wild scenes from Hawaii’s worst flooding in 20 years. Accessed March 24, 2026.

You may also be interested in:

Stay up-to-date with the latest content from NASA as we explore the universe and discover more about our home planet.

A Winter Blanket Covers North Carolina

3 min read

In late January 2026, a strong, moisture-laden storm dropped snow across nearly the entire state, spanning from the Appalachians to…

Article

Wave of Dust Rolls Through Texas

3 min read

An advancing cold front kicked up a sharp line of sand and other small particles that swept over the high…

Article

Snow Buries the U.S. Interior and East

2 min read

Satellites observed a frozen landscape across much of the country after a massive winter storm.

Article

Keep Exploring

Discover More from NASA Earth Science

Subscribe to Earth Observatory Newsletters

Subscribe to the Earth Observatory and get the Earth in your inbox.

Earth Observatory Image of the Day

NASA’s Earth Observatory brings you the Earth, every day, with in-depth stories and stunning imagery.

Explore Earth Science

Earth Science Data

Open access to NASA’s archive of Earth science data

Powered by WPeMatico

Get The Details…

NASA PC-12 Aircraft Makes Move to Support Flight Research Across Agency

A NASA Pilatus PC-12 aircraft will now be based at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, in order to support flight research efforts across the agency.

The PC-12 was acquired in 2022 by NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland for use in advanced technology development. The PC-12 will continue to support research at NASA Glenn while also helping expand flight research capability by supporting other agency efforts.

“NASA Armstrong is proficient in supporting a deployed aircraft concept, where our aircraft goes to another part of the country or world to complete a specific mission,” said Darren Cole, capabilities manager for the Flight Demonstrations and Capabilities project at NASA Armstrong. “That’s exactly what we are going to do with the PC-12, to continue a wide range of flight research.”

Over four years of service at Glenn, the PC-12 has proven a valuable research asset, with contributions such as supporting a communications relay experiment with the International Space Station. Using a portable laser terminal, the PC-12 sent a 4K video stream relayed through a ground network and a satellite to the space station, which was able to send information back. The system helped effectively penetrate cloud coverage.

The aircraft also was used to study surveillance systems that could help handle the air traffic demands of future air taxis flying in cities.

From its new home at NASA Armstrong, the plane will support a variety of agency, industry, and academic research, including continued technology development research led by Glenn and conducted in conjunction with Glenn’s Aerospace Communications Facility.

A NASA T-34 aircraft from Glenn also arrived at Armstrong in February to be evaluated for use. The T-34 can allow NASA pilots to either conduct flight research or train to fly the PC-12 when that larger aircraft is undergoing maintenance or modifications.

“The T-34’s design allows for future pod-mounted flight research efforts,” Cole said. “This could include ideas in development by researchers within NASA or through external partnerships — to get something quickly into the air for flight testing at a low cost.”

The T-34 from Glenn joins another already housed at NASA Armstrong, part of a fleet that has recently grown with new assets, including two F-15s. These help Armstrong remain the agency’s home base for breakthrough flight research and test projects.

The aircraft are supported through NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate.

Explore More

4 min read

NASA Selects Finalists in Student Aircraft Maintenance Competition

Article


1 hour ago

2 min read

NASA’s X-59 Experimental Supersonic Aircraft Makes Second Flight 

Article


4 days ago

2 min read

NASA Simulations Improve Artemis II Launch Environment

Article


4 days ago

Keep Exploring

Discover More Topics From NASA

Armstrong Flight Research Center

Glenn Research Center

NASA Aircraft

Aircraft Flown at Armstrong

Powered by WPeMatico

Get The Details…
Dede Dinius