NASA Artemis II moon mission live: Orion in flight after liftoff from Kennedy Space Center

Four astronauts are in Earth orbit and will soon race toward the moon – but first they'll test the craft while relatively close to home. While orbiting Earth, Artemis II will be 115 miles away at its closest point and about 46,000 miles distant during the furthest segment. The crew is testing life support systems and practicing Orion's manual handling and docking capabilities. This mission, which successfully launched at 6:35 p.m. ET April 1, is the second in a program that will ultimately land astronauts on the moon's surface and construct a base there. Follow Artemis II tracker: https://www.usatoday.com/story/graphics/2026/04/02/nasa-artemis-ii-tracker-location/89407838007/ Sign up for our newsletter for the day's top stories, from sports to movies to politics to world events: https://profile.usatoday.com/newsletters/daily-briefing/