NASA’s Artemis II SLS rocket, with the Orion spacecraft atop carrying astronauts has lifted off from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39B.
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Press Releases, Kennedy Space Center, 01 April 2026.
At 22:22 GMT (6:22 p.m. EDT) Artemis II Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson conducted one of the most important steps before liftoff: the ‘go/no-go’ poll for the team to proceed with the final ten minutes of the countdown known as terminal count. A unanimous ‘go’ across the board signals that Artemis II is fully prepared to proceed toward launch. This moment represents the culmination of years of planning and hours of meticulous pre-launch work, bringing the mission to the threshold of history.
At 22:25 GMT (6:25 p.m. EDT) The Artemis II countdown has entered terminal count, and the ground launch sequencer has taken control, orchestrating a precise series of automated commands to prepare the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft for liftoff at a T-0 time of 6:35 p.m. EDT.
The ground launch sequencer ensures that all systems – from propulsion to avionics – transition into flight mode. Key actions performed include pressurising propellant tanks for optimal engine performance, activating flight software and switching control from ground to onboard systems, and performing final health checks across thousands of sensors to confirm readiness.
This automated sequence minimises human intervention, reducing risk and ensuring synchronisation across complex subsystems. For Artemis II, this moment marks the culmination of years of planning and testing, as the mission moves from ground operations to the threshold of launch.
At 22:35 GMT (6:35 p.m. EDT) NASA’s Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, with the Orion spacecraft atop carrying NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, lifted off from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39B in Florida at 6:35 p.m. EDT to begin its journey to deep space.
The twin solid rocket boosters ignited first, delivering more than 75% of the thrust needed to lift the 5.75-million-pound rocket off the pad. Their combined power, along with the four RS-25 engines already at full thrust, generated an incredible 8.8 million pounds of force at liftoff. As the rocket rose, the umbilicals – which provided power, fuel, and data connections during pre-launch – disconnected and retracted into protective housings. This ensured the vehicle is free from ground systems and fully autonomous for flight.
The approximately 10-day Artemis II mission around the Moon is the first crewed flight under NASA’s Artemis campaign. It will help test the systems and hardware needed to continue sending astronauts on increasingly difficult missions to explore more of the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to continue building toward the first crewed missions to Mars.
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