Artemis II launch time in UK and how to watch historic Moon mission live

Four astronauts are heading to the Moon for the first time in 54 years on Wednesday - here's everything you need to know about watching the Artemis II launch live

Simon Coyle and Abigail Hunt Content Editor

08:25, 01 Apr 2026Updated 09:06, 01 Apr 2026

[Four individuals dressed in blue space suits are standing in front of a large rocket, likely preparing for a space mission. The rocket is situated on a launchpad, with metallic support structures and a clear blue sky in the background.]

Onboard will be Commander Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch from NASA, along with Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency(Image: NASA/Bill Ingalls / SWNS)

Humans are set to return to the Moon for the first time in 54 years as Artemis II is poised to launch today.

The manned 10-day mission will see four astronauts depart from Cape Canaveral, embarking on a colossal 685,000-mile round trip to the Moon and back.

The Orion space capsule they'll be travelling in will venture around 4,700 miles beyond the far side of Earth's natural satellite, setting a new record.

Onboard will be Commander Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch from NASA, along with Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency.

While the Artemis II astronauts won't touch down on the Moon, the mission lays the groundwork for a future lunar landing within the next few years, reports the Manchester Evening News.

[An image depicting a group of individuals observing a tall, cylindrical space launch vehicle with a distinctive orange and white color scheme, set against a backdrop of a clear blue sky and adjacent metallic structures.]

Humans are set to return to the Moon for the first time in 54 years(Image: Getty Images)

Artemis III will carry out tests in low Earth orbit with the lunar landers, currently being developed by firms SpaceX and Blue Origin.

Artemis IV, slated for no earlier than 2028, would be a crewed lunar mission where two crew members will descend to the surface and spend roughly a week near the South Pole of the Moon.

If you're keen to watch the Artemis II launch live, here's everything you need to know.

When is the Artemis II launch?

Artemis launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson announced that the countdown to launch commenced at 4.44pm local time on Monday.

She stated: "It is an exciting time. It's an exciting time for this team and our crew and really our nation and the world. All indications are right now we're in excellent, excellent shape as we get into count."

NASA is presently aiming for a liftoff time of 6.24pm local time on Wednesday, or 11.24pm UK time. Like all rocket launches, there's a possibility this could be delayed if the weather conditions are not favourable, or another problem arises.

Article continues below

The mission had to be deferred by two months previously due to hydrogen fuel leaks and blocked helium lines

How to watch Artemis II launch live

The launch can be viewed live online. NASA will be streaming it live on their YouTube channel.

[Dailystar Icon]

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Choose Daily Star as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.

[Google Preferred Source Badge]

At Reach and across our entities we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your data, at any time clicking the "Do Not Sell or Share my Data" button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Use of our website and any of our services represents your acceptance of the use of cookies and consent to the practices described in our Privacy Notice and Terms and Conditions.