It’s a big week for space travel, with NASA set to send a massive rocket hurtling into orbit around the moon. The Artemis I is scheduled to launch on Monday, Aug. 29 between 8:33 a.m. and 10:33 a.m. ET, and you can watch the blast-off (plus the pre-flight briefings and coverage beginning on Friday, Aug. 26) 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.
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How to watch the Artemis I launch
The full launch coverage begins at 6:30 a.m. ET on Monday, Aug. 29 and will continue throughout the day until 5:30 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 7:30 a.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 (ET):
12 a.m.: Live coverage of tanking (fueling) operations (available on NASA TV)6:30 a.m.: Full launch coverage begins in English 7:30 a.m.: Launch coverage begins in Spanish8:33 a.m.: Liftoff12 p.m.: Post-launch press conference with a NASA administrator and staff4 p.m.: Coverage of the first trajectory burn out of Earth’s orbit5:30 p.m.: First views of Earth from the OrionNote that the post-launch schedule is subject to change depending on the actual time of launch, which could go as late as 10:33 a.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 Monday that will be streamed on NASA TV. On Friday, Aug. 26 at 10 a.m. ET, you can catch a media briefing with representatives from NASA, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Boeing, Jacobs, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Airbus.
On Saturday, Aug. 27:
10:23 a.m. ET: Artemis I countdown begins with flight control staff 11 a.m. ET: Pre-launch briefing with mission management team to provide an overview of the Artemis I mission, including the weather forecast and backup plans2:30 p.m. ET: Press conference with NASA representatives on “Moon to Mars exploration plans”On Sunday, Aug. 28, NASA will hold a final pre-launch media briefing on the countdown status at 9 a.m. ET.
There’s already a live stream of the rocket on the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla.
