After halting its launch sequence late in the game earlier this week, NASA is once again set to send a massive rocket hurtling into orbit around the moon. The Artemis I is now scheduled to launch on Saturday, Sept. 3 between 2:17 p.m. and 4:17 p.m. ET, and you can watch the blast-off (plus the pre-flight briefings and coverage beginning on Thursday, Sept. 1) live from the comfort of your own home.
What’s special about the Artemis I?
The Artemis I is the first test of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft. It’s the most powerful rocket to launch from the Kennedy Space Center since the Saturn V in 1973.
While an unmanned launch may seem less exciting, it’s actually what NASA considers a dress rehearsal for two future crewed missions: the Artemis 2 flight test in 2024 and the Artemis 3 lunar landing in 2025.
The total Artemis I mission duration is expected to be anywhere from 26 to 42 days. Here’s how to catch all of the excitement.
How to watch the Artemis I launch
The full launch coverage begins at 12:15 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 3 and will continue throughout the day until 10:15 p.m. ET, when the Orion capsule is expected to broadcast its view of Earth from space.
The live broadcast will be available on NASA’s website as well as NASA TV and NASA’s mobile app. Launch coverage will also stream on Facebook, Twitch, YouTube, and NASA’s UHD channel. You can also catch the countdown audio from the launch control commentator 15 minutes ahead of launch time by calling 844-467-4685 and entering the passcode 687630.
Coverage in Spanish begins at 1 p.m. ET on NASA’s Spanish-language social media channels—Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube—and will continue until 15 minutes after liftoff.
Here’s a rundown of what launch day will probably look like (all times are ET):
4:37 a.m.: Launch countdown resumes
5:45 a.m.: Live coverage of tanking (fueling) operations (available on NASA TV)
12:15 p.m.: Full launch coverage begins in English
1 p.m.: Launch coverage begins in Spanish
2:17 p.m.: Liftoff
6 p.m.: Post-launch press conference with a NASA administrator and staff
9:45 p.m.: Coverage of the first trajectory burn out of Earth’s orbit
10:15 p.m.: First views of Earth from the Orion
Note that the post-launch schedule is subject to change depending on the actual time of launch, which could go as late as 4:17 p.m.
How to watch the Artemis I pre-launch briefings
If you just can’t wait until launch day to tune in, there are a handful of events leading up to liftoff that will be streamed on NASA TV (similar to the pre-launch briefings held last week).
On Thursday, Sept. 1 at 6 p.m. ET, you can catch a launch readiness briefing with NASA and mission staff. And on Friday, Sept. 2, there’s a final pre-launch briefing scheduled for 9 a.m. ET with NASA representatives that will cover any outstanding issues as well as weather concerns.
(Editor’s note: This post was originally published on Aug. 24, 2022 with the original launch date and time. It was updated at 11:30 a.m. on Sept. 1 with the updated launch date information.)