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
Philippines evacuates 3,000 villagers after volcano activity raises alert level - 2How we came to be: Scientists get first look at the evolution of early complex animals
- 3The Green Transformation: 5 Feasible Living Practices
- 4Raw oysters linked to ongoing salmonella outbreak infecting 64 across 22 states: CDC
- 55 VIPs That Changed Style
- Dozens injured in Russia after train crashes, overturns
- How Much Has the Iran War Cost the Average American Per Day?
- How to watch 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' for less with this Apple TV Black Friday deal
- Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS' journey through our solar system, in photos
- Eli Lilly to build $6 billion Alabama plant as part of US manufacturing push
- Lower-cost space missions like NASA's ESCAPADE are starting to deliver exciting science – but at a price in risk and trade‑offs
- Sunken warship found off Danish coast after 225 years in ‘remarkable’ discovery
- Portugal among EU countries with the most people working close to 50 hours a week
- Meet the astronauts about to make history on flight around the moon
