As launch time approaches for NASA's first moonshot in more than half a century, anticipation is building for the Artemis II mission, which will send a crew of four astronauts on a nine-and-a-half-day voyage around the moon and back. Here's how to watch tonight's launch — and where it will be visible to skywatchers in person.
What time will the Artemis II launch happen?
The launch window for Artemis II opens at 6:24 p.m. EDT Wednesday and closes two hours later, at 8:24 p.m. EDT.
If the countdown and pre-flight checks go exactly according to plan, the giant Space Launch System rocket will roar to life and lift off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 6:24 p.m. EDT. But there could be a variety of delays along the way, so launch could slide to a later point within that two-hour window.
If it's delayed further, the next opportunity for launch would be a two-hour window beginning at 7:22 p.m. EDT Thursday.
Where to watch the Artemis II launch on TV
CBS News will broadcast a Special Report with live coverage of the launch, anchored by Tony Dokoupil at the Kennedy Space Center, beginning at 6 p.m. EDT. Watch on your local CBS station.
Where to watch the Artemis II launch online
CBS News' streaming channel, CBS News 24/7, will have coverage throughout the day and extended live coverage beginning at 4 p.m. EDT. Watch here on CBSNews.com or download the free CBS News app on your mobile or streaming device.
CBS News coverage is also streaming on YouTube and Paramount+.
Where will the Artemis II launch be visible in person?
NASA offers viewing packages to watch launches from the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, but those tickets are all sold out.
If the weather is clear, people across most of Florida and southeastern Georgia may be able to spot the rocket on its way to space if they look up at the right time. NASA shared a visibility map showing where and when people can see it it, between about 10 seconds to 70 seconds after liftoff, depending on their distance from the launch site.
New details on Tiger Woods' arrest in police report
LATEST POSTS
- 1
Eurasian cargo hub expands to capture Europe-Asia freight flows - 2UN rights chief says Israeli policy in West Bank 'resembles apartheid system'
- 3Pick Your Favored method of transportation
- 4How to watch NASA's Artemis 2 astronauts launch to the moon on April 1
- 5UK forecast to face weaker growth and higher inflation from Iran war
- Al-Sharaa denies he called for 80% of Syrians to return from Germany
- MacArthur Foundation awards $100M to outbreak surveillance network, a boost amid global health cuts
- Two reportedly killed as Israel attacks Hezbollah targets in Lebanon
- Robert Irwin on winning 'Dancing With the Stars' 10 years after sister Bindi: 'This was everything I dreamed it would be and so much more'
- Horror and fear in West Bank as Israel approves hanging Palestinians convicted of murdering Israelis
- Watch Chinese astronauts enjoy '1st ever space BBQ' from Tiangong's brand-new oven (video)
- Consumers advised to dispose of 19 cooking pans due to lead leaching risk, FDA reports
- How to watch 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' for free in 2025
- Social Skylines d: A Survey of \Inside and out Social Experiences\ Language Learning Book
