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Watch NASA’s Artemis 1 SLS megarocket moon launch in free webcasts

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NASA’s huge Artemis 1 rocket is counting down to a planned Aug. 29 launch to the moon and when it does, you’ll be able to watch the historic mission live online for free. 

The space agency will host a series of Artemis 1 webcasts this week and next leading up to the uncrewed launch on NASA’s first Space Launch System megarocket from Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The briefings start on Monday, Aug. 22, and run through launch day and include special guests like actors Chris Evans, Jack Black and Keke Palmer. You can already see live views of the Artemis 1 moon rocket atop its pad in the live fe

The last time a rocket this powerful thundered off a KSC pad was back in 1973 when a Saturn V moon rocket carried Skylab into orbit, marking the end of the Apollo era, so this month’s event should be quite a show.

Related: NASA’s Artemis 1 moon mission: Live updates 

According to NASA (opens in new tab), the space agency will deliver comprehensive coverage of prelaunch, launch, and postlaunch activities for Artemis I when it comes time to light the candle. This momentous uncrewed dress rehearsal around the moon will clear the trail for a crewed moon-bound flight test with 2024’s Artemis 2, and an actual lunar landing by 2025 as part of Artemis 3.

Those lucky enough to be joining the Artemis 1 spectacle in Florida will be treated to the shock and awe of 8.8 million pounds of thrust fighting gravity and propelling the sleek SLS rocket and Orion space capsule into the heavens. For the rest of us, NASA just released its schedule for the free livestream broadcast to watch the mission  from the safety and comfort of our own homes. 

Live event coverage will air on Space.com courtesy of NASA Television, the NASA mobile app (opens in new tab), and the agency’s official website (opens in new tab), with prelaunch activities on Monday, Aug. 22. For anxious toe-tappers, the launch countdown (opens in new tab)starts Saturday, Aug. 27, at 10:23 a.m. ET.

Sure, it might not provide the same epic experience that the Earth-shuddering blastoff will offer, but it’s the next best thing and you don’t have to worry about the heat, parking hassles, or huge crowds.  

The stages of the Artemis 1 mission to the moon. (Image credit: NASA)

On launch day, a live broadcast of the festivities includes celebrity appearances by Jack Black, Chris Evans, and Keke Palmer, as well as a patriotic performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” courtesy of Josh Groban and Herbie Hancock. Then we’ll hear “America the Beautiful” played by The Philadelphia Orchestra and cellist Yo-Yo Ma, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

Here’s a rundown of the launch activities leading up to liftoff.

Monday, Aug. 22: Artemis 1 flight readiness review

One week from launch, on Monday, Aug. 22, NASA Artemis 1 mission managers will meet in a day-long Flight Readiness Review to decide of the Artemis 1 SLS rocket is ready for launch.

At 7 p.m. EDT (2300 GMT), NASA will hold a press conference to report on the results of that meeting and if the Artemis 1 moon rocket is still on track for its Aug. 29 liftoff. 

Here’s who will appear in that briefing.

  • Janet Petro, director, Kennedy Space Center
  • Jim Free, associate administrator for Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
  • Mike Sarafin, Artemis mission manager, NASA Headquarters
  • Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis launch director, Exploration Ground Systems Program, Kennedy
  • Howard Hu, Orion Program manager, NASA’s Johnson Space Center
  • John Honeycutt, Space Launch System Program manager, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center

Friday, Aug. 26: NASA briefing on space industry exploration

On Friday, Aug. 26, NASA will hold a press conference at 10 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT) to highlight the role of commercial space industry on the Artemis 1 mission. 

The briefing will feature experts from NASA, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Boeing (which built the Space Launch System), Jacobs aerospace, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Airbus. 

  • Jim Free, associate administrator, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
  • Jeff Zotti, RS-25 program director, Aerojet Rocketdyne
  • Jennifer Boland-Masterson, director of operations, Michoud Assembly Facility, Boeing
  • Randy Lycans, vice president/general manager of NASA Enterprise Solutions, Jacobs
  • Kelly DeFazio, director of Orion production, Lockheed Martin
  • Doug Hurley, senior director of business development, Northrop Grumman
  • Ralf Zimmermann, head of Moon programs and Orion European Service Module, Airbus

Saturday, Aug. 27: NASA Artemis 1 countdown begins

The Artemis 1 launch countdown will begin at 10:23 a.m. EDT (1423 GMT) on Saturday, Aug. 27. Flight controllers will be called to their stations on this day and begin the two-day countdown to the final launch target. 

Saturday, Aug. 27: NASA Artemis 1 prelaunch briefing

On Saturday, Aug. 27, NASA will hold a two briefings to discuss the Artemis 1 mission. The first will be at 11 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT), when mission managers will meet to review the launch plan for Artemis 1 as well as its mission goals. 

The briefing will include an overview of the mission, a look at the weather forecast and NASA’s backup plans in case an Aug. 29 launch date is delayed. Backup days for the mission are currently targeted for Sept. 2 and Sept. 5.

Related: NASA’s Artemis 1 moon mission explained in photos 

  • Mike Sarafin, Artemis mission manager, NASA Headquarters
  • Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis launch director, Exploration Ground Systems Program, Kennedy
  • Judd Freiling, ascent and entry flight director, Johnson
  • Rick LaBrode, lead flight director, Johnson
  • Melissa Jones, recovery director, Exploration Ground Systems Program, Kennedy 
  • Melody Lovin, weather officer, Space Launch Delta 45 
  • Jacob Bleacher, chief exploration scientist, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters

Saturday, Aug. 27: NASA Artemis Moon to Mars briefing

After the prelaunch briefing, NASA will hold a press conference on Saturday, Aug. 27 at 2:30 p.m. EDT (1830 GMT), led by NASA Administrator Bill Nelson to discuss the agency’s plans to explore the moon, Mars and beyond.. 

NASA has billed the talk as a “briefing on the agency’s Moon to Mars exploration plans” and it will feature presentations by Nelson and representatives from across the agency’s exploration, space technology and spaceflight branches to outline plans to reach Mars from the moon under the Artemis program.

  • Bill Nelson, NASA administrator 
  • Bhavya Lal, NASA associate administrator for technology, policy, and strategy
  • Jim Free, NASA associate administrator, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate 
  • Kathy Lueders, NASA associate administrator, Space Operations Mission Directorate 
  • Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate 
  • Prasun Desai, NASA deputy associate administrator, Space Technology Mission Directorate 
  • Randy Bresnik, NASA astronaut

Sunday, Aug. 28: NASA Artemis 1 countdown update

On Sunday, Aug. 28, NASA will hold a short briefing at 9 a.m. EDT (1300 GMT) to give an update on the launch progress for Artemis 1.

The briefing will review the mission’s countdown status with Jeff Spaulding, NASA’s Artemis 1 senior test director, as well as Melody Lovin, weather officer with Space Launch Delta 45 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station near KSC.

  • Jeff Spaulding, Artemis I senior NASA test director
  • Melody Lovin, weather officer, Space Launch Delta 45

Monday, Aug. 29: 12 a.m. EDT – Artemis 1 Launch Day – Fueling coverage

Monday, Aug. 29, is the first launch attempt for NASA’s Artemis 1 moon mission and it’s going to be a LONG day. 

NASA’s webcast activities begin at 12 a.m. EDT (0400 GMT), with a live webcast on the fueling  operations, which NASA calls tanking, of the Space Launch System. The core stage of the SLS rocket can hold about 730,000 gallons of super-cold liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen, so loading that propellant will take hours. 

Monday, Aug. 29: 6:30 a.m. ET- Full Artemis 1 launch coverage

NASA’s full launch coverage webcast for Artemis 1 will begin on Aug. 29 at 6:30 a.m. EDT (1030 GMT). This part of the agency’s webcast will be in English. 

“Launch coverage will continue through translunar injection and spacecraft separation, setting Orion on its path to the moon,” NASA wrote in a description.

Monday, Aug. 29: 7:30 a.m. ET- Artemis 1 Spanish broadcast

At 7:30 a.m. EDT (1130 GMT), NASA’s Spanish-language webcast will begin to chronicle the Artemis 1 mission. 

The webcast will run through launch and the first 15 minutes of the mission after liftoff. Following the launch, you can get Spanish-language updates on Artemis 1 through the NASA en español social media channels.

Saturday, Aug. 29: 8:33 a.m. EDT – Artemis 1 Liftoff

This is the moment of truth for NASA’s Artemis 1 mission: the first launch window for the Space Launch System rocket. 

NASA actually has a two-hour window in which to try to launch the SLS booster, so liftoff could occur anytime between 8:33 a.m. EDT and 10:33 a.m. EDT (1233-1433 GMT), weather and technical systems permitting.

Saturday, Aug. 29: 12 p.m. ET – Artemis 1 post-launch news conference

After launch, NASA will hold a post-launch press conference scheduled for no earlier than 1 hour after the launch broadcast ends. Currently, NASA is eyeing a 12 p.m. EDT (1600 GMT) start time for this briefing, but that could change as the day progresses.

Below are the NASA officials scheduled to speak in the briefing.

  • Bill Nelson, NASA administrator 
  • Mike Sarafin, Artemis mission manager, NASA Headquarters
  • Mike Bolger, Exploration Ground Systems Program manager, Kennedy
  • Howard Hu, Orion Program manager, Johnson
  • John Honeycutt, Space Launch System Program manager, Marshall

Saturday, Aug. 29: 4 p.m. EDT – Orion trajectory burn

If all goes well with the launch, NASA will host a 4 p.m. EDT (2000 GMT) webcast to highlight the first trajectory maneuver to send the Artemis 1 Orion beyond Earth orbit and off to the moon. 

The time of this coverage may change depending on the launch time of the Artemis 1 mission. 

Saturday, Aug. 29: 5:30 p.m. EDT – Orion views of the Earth

The last major Artemis 1 launch day event is currently scheduled for 5:30 p.m. EDT (2130 GMT), when the Orion spacecraft is expected to beam its first views of the Earth from space.

Like the outbound trajectory maneuver, the timing of this broadcast is subject to change depending on the exact launch time and the health of the Orion spacecraft.

For a complete rundown of all the talks and activities surrounding Artemis 1’s thrilling flight, check out NASA’s detailed coverage schedule.

Whether staking out a sweet in-person spot to watch Artemis 1 or taking it all in via NASA’s livestream options, it’s destined to be the pyrotechnics show of the summer!

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Watch 4 rocket launches in free webcasts Thursday Aug. 4

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Update for 1:30 a.m. EDT: Rocket Lab has successfully launched the NROL-199 spy satellite for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office, with satellite deploy expected at around 2 a.m. EDT (0600 GMT). The next launch on Aug. 4 is the United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V mission carrying the SBIRS GEO 6 missile warning satellite. That webcast will begin above at 6 a.m. EDT (1000 GMT) for a 6:29 a.m. EDT (1029 GMT)) launch.

Rocket fans, rejoice! If you’re a fan of spaceflight, then Thursday (Aug. 4) will be a banner day with no less than four different rockets launching missions off planet Earth. 

Rockets built by Rocket Lab, the United Launch Alliance, Blue Origin and SpaceX will launch into space today (if all goes well). The China National Space Administration may also launch two rockets of its own on Thursday, according to some media reports. 

Related: How rockets work: a complete guide

Rocket Lab’s Antipodean Adventure

Update: Read our launch wrap story for Rocket Lab’s NROL-199 spy satellite launch!

The space action begins in the wee hours of Thursday morning (Aug. 4), when Rocket Lab will launch a small (and classified) spy satellite for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). An Electron rocket will launch the mission, called NROL-199, from Rocket Lab’s launch site on New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula. 

Liftoff is scheduled for 1 a.m. EDT (0500 GMT), and you can watch it on Space.com  and via Rocket Lab’s own website (opens in new tab). The livestream will appear on this page at launch time, with Rocket Lab expected to begin the webcast 15 minutes before liftoff.

The NROL-199 mission, which Rocket Lab calls “Antipodean Adventure,” is the second of two back-to-back reconnaissance missions the company is flying for the NRO. Rocket Lab launched the NROL-162 mission on July 13. 

United Launch Alliance Atlas V launch of SBIRS GEO 6

Next up on Thursday’s launch docket is a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket mission. That flight, which is scheduled to launch at 6:29 a.m. EDT (1029 GMT), will launch the sixth and last Space Based Infrared System Geosynchronous Earth Orbit satellite for the U.S. Space Force. 

Called the SBIRS GEO 6 for short, the satellite is designed to serve as a missile detection early warning system for the Space Force’s Space Systems Command. It will launch from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. ULA will webcast the launch live on YouTube and its website, beginning about 20 minutes before liftoff. You can get launch updates beginning at 11 p.m. EDT (0300 GMT) tonight at the ULA mission page (opens in new tab).

“Equipped with powerful scanning and staring infrared surveillance sensors to protect our nation 24/7, the SBIRS spacecraft continue to serve as the tip of the spear for global missile warning as ballistic missile threats proliferate around the world,” ULA wrote in a mission overview (opens in new tab). “These infrared sensors, and others in a constellation of persistent overhead satellites, collect data that allow the U.S. military to detect missile launches, support ballistic missile defense, expand technical intelligence gathering and bolster situational awareness on the battlefield.”

Blue Origin’s NS-22 space tourist flight

Space tourists will launch on the third mission of the day on Thursday as Blue Origin counts down to its 22nd mission to space.

A Blue Origin New Shepard rocket will launch the NS-22 space tourist flight from the company’s Launch Site One near Van Horn, Texas. The mission will carry six passengers on a trip to suborbital space, offering them sweeping views of Earth below and a few minutes of weightlessness before returning home. 

Blue Origin space tourist launches: Live NS-22 mission updates

Liftoff of Blue Origin’s NS-22 mission is set for 9:30 a.m. EDT (1330 GMT), with a live webcast expected to begin an hour earlier at 8:30 a.m. EDT (1230 GMT). You can watch that live on this page, as well as on YouTube (opens in new tab) or directly from Blue Origin’s website. (opens in new tab)

NS-22 will mark Blue Origin’s sixth space tourist flight since the company began crewed launches. Riding on this mission will be: 

  • Coby Cotton, co-founder of the YouTube channel Dude Perfect;
  • Sara Sabry, founder of the Deep Space Initiative and the 1st Egyptian to fly in space; 
  • Mário Ferreira, an entrepreneur who will be the first Portuguese person in space;
  • Vanessa O’Brien, a British-American explorer who has climbed Mt. Everest and dived to Challenger Deep in the ocean;
  • Clint Kelly III, founder of DARPA’s Autonomous Land Vehicle project to research autonomous driving technology;
  • Steve Young, a businessperson and restauranteur who serves with the Space Coast Conservation Association.

SpaceX’s Danuri moon probe launch for South Korea

SpaceX will close Thursday’s rocket launch quartet by lofting the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter mission for South Korea on a Falcon 9 rocket. Liftoff is scheduled for 7:08 p.m. EDT (2308 GMT) from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. SpaceX’s launch webcast will begin about 15 minutes before liftoff on the company’s webpage (opens in new tab). You’ll also be able to follow it live on the KARI YouTube page (opens in new tab).

Also known as Danuri, the South Korean moon mission is the country’s first ever to aim beyond low Earth orbit. The mission will send an orbiter to the moon to study magnetic anomalies on the lunar surface and search for landing sites for future missions. 

Related: Every mission to the moon ever launched

The spacecraft carries six different instruments to study the moon and is expected to spend a year in lunar orbit studying the moon’s magnetic signature, search for water ice on the surface and test Earth-to-moon communications technologies. The mission is overseen by scientists with the Korea Aerospace Research Institute.

Danuri will mark SpaceX’s second launch to the moon, after the company’s 2019 launch of the Israeli Beresheet moon lander. While SpaceX successfully delivered Beresheet to the moon, the Israeli-built lander ultimately crashed into the lunar surface. Israel’s Beresheet 2 mission is expected to follow in 2024.

SpaceX will launch the Danuri orbiter on a ballistic trajectory to the moon, with the spacecraft destined for an orbit about 60 miles (100 kilometers) above the lunar surface. 

China’s two rocket launches

As if those four missions weren’t enough, China may launch a new Earth-observation satellite and an experimental space plane on two different rockets on Thursday. 

According to the site Everyday Astronaut (opens in new tab), a Chinese Long March 4B rocket could launch the country’s Terrestrial Ecosystem Carbon Inventory Satellite mission to study Earth overnight on Aug. 3-4 from the Taiyuan Satellite Launching Center.  A Long March 2F rocket may also launch an experimental reusable space plane from China’s Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center later on Thursday, Everyday Astronaut reported. If those launches are confirmed, Space.com will have recaps of the missions. 

Whew! That’s a lot of launches in one 24-hour period, so buckle up, space fans. It’s going to be a long, and launch-filled, Thursday. 

Email Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com (opens in new tab) or follow him @tariqjmalik (opens in new tab). Follow us @Spacedotcom (opens in new tab), Facebook (opens in new tab) and Instagram (opens in new tab).



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Watch NASA’s Artemis 1 mission preview webcasts for free

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NASA is just weeks away from launching its first Artemis flight to the moon this month and you can learn all about the mission in free webcasts this week. 

Artemis 1, NASA’s uncrewed deep-space test flight of its Orion spacecraft and massive Space Launch System megarocket, is scheduled to launch around the moon on Aug. 29. To set the stage for the mission, NASA will hold a mission overview briefing on Wednesday (Aug. 3) along with a detailed mission briefing on Friday (Aug. 5), and you’ll be able top watch both events for free online on NASA’s website (opens in new tab), NASA TV and the NASA app (opens in new tab).

“Artemis 1 is an uncrewed flight test, the first in a series of increasingly complex missions to the moon,” NASA officials wrote in an announcement (opens in new tab). “Through Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the moon, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone to send astronauts to Mars.”

Related: NASA’s Artemis 1 moon mission: Live updates
More: NASA’s Artemis 1 moon mission explained in photos 

NASA’s Artemis 1 Space Launch System megarocket stands poised to launch the Orion spacecraft to the moon in this view of Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff is set for Aug. 29, 2022. (Image credit: NASA)

NASA’s first Artemis 1 press conference this week is on Wednesday at 11 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT), when the agency will host a general overview of the mission. The briefing is expected to last an hour and will feature the following speakers:

  • NASA Administrator Bill Nelson;
  • Bhavya Lal, associate administrator for technology, policy, and strategy at NASA’s headquarters;
  • Mike Sarafin, Artemis 1 mission manager with NASA HQ;
  • Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis 1 launch director at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida (the mission’s launch site); 
  • John Honeycutt, Space Launch System program manager with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.; 
  • Howard Hu, Orion program manager, with NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston.

After Wednesday’s briefing, NASA will host an Artemis 1 media day at its Johnson Space Center, home to the agency’s astronaut corps. That media day will be on Friday (Aug. 5) and will include a detailed Artemis 1 mission briefing at 11:30 a.m. EDT (1530 GMT). That briefing will feature the following speakers:

  • Debbie Korth, Orion program deputy manager of JSC;
  • Rick LaBrode, lead Artemis I flight director of JSC;
  • Judd Frieling, Artemis I ascent/entry flight director of JSC;
  • Melissa Jones, Artemis I recovery director of KSC;
  • Reid Wiseman, chief astronaut of JSC;
  • Philippe Deloo, Orion European Service Module program manager, with the European Space Agency.

“The first briefing will provide an overview of the Artemis 1 mission, and the second briefing will dive deeper into the Artemis 1 mission timeline and spacecraft operations,” NASA officials said in the announcement.

Related: How NASA’s Artemis moon landing with astronauts works

Artemis 1 is a critical test flight that will launch an Orion spacecraft around the moon to test technologies NASA needs to support the return of astronauts to the lunar surface. It will launch a “Moonikin” mannequin, cubesats and other experiments inside Orion on a trip that will circle the moon and return to Earth. 

If all goes well, NASA will follow the Artemis 1 mission with a crewed flight around the moon, called Artemis 2, in 2024. The Artemis 3 mission is the one that will land astronauts on the lunar surface, with SpaceX’s Starship serving as the lunar lander for that flight. That flight is expected sometime after Artemis 2.

Email Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com or follow him @tariqjmalik. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Instagram.



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