NASA’s Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft seen atop mobile launcher at Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s Artemis II test flight will take Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the CSA (Canadian Space Agency), around the Moon and back to Earth with launch opportunities beginning April 1, 2026. Credit: Ken Kremer/SpaceUpClose.com
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL – On March 29 and T Minus 3 days to liftoff of NASAs Artemis II Moonrocket the media enjoyed a heavenly opportunity to be up close with the 32-story tall integrated SLS and Orion stack to set up remote cameras with the mega launch vehicle at Launch complex 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center, in Florida.
NASA’s Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft seen atop mobile launcher at Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s Artemis II test flight will take Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the CSA (Canadian Space Agency), around the Moon and back to Earth with launch opportunities beginning April 1, 2026. Credit: Ken Kremer/SpaceUpClose.com
The international crew quartet comprises NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen
From left to right, Artemis II Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from CSA (Canadian Space Agency), Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Commander Reid Wiseman, and Pilot Victor Glover, arrive on Friday, March 27, 2026, at the Launch and Landing Facility at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in preparation for the Artemis II test flight. The Artemis II mission will take the crew on a 10-day journey around the Moon and back aboard NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft from Launch Complex 39B no earlier than 6:24 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, April 1, 2026. Credit: Ken Kremer/SpaceUpClose.com
They will venture further out from Earth than any humans before in history!
NASA’s Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft atop mobile launcher at Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s Artemis II test flight will take 4 astronauts around the Moon and back to Earth with launch opportunities beginning April 1, 2026. Credit: Ken Kremer/SpaceUpClose.com
Enjoy our photos taken by Ken Kremer for Space UpClose
NASA’s Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft atop mobile launcher at Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s Artemis II test flight will take 4 astronauts around the Moon and back to Earth with launch opportunities beginning April 1, 2026. Credit: Ken Kremer/SpaceUpClose.com
The four person crew flew from NASA’s Johnson Space Center and arrived March 27, aboard two NASA T-38 jets into NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida at the former shuttle landing strip at about 2:30 p.m. ET – in preparation for the Artemis II test flight targeting April 1 for a 10 day mission around the Moon and back.
NASA’s Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft atop mobile launcher at Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s Artemis II test flight will take 4 astronauts around the Moon and back to Earth with launch opportunities beginning April 1, 2026. Credit: Ken Kremer/SpaceUpClose.com
The crew has been in quarantine since March 20, when SLS and Orion stack were rolled out from KSC’s Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to Launch Complex-39B (LC-39B.
Liftoff is targeting April 1 at 6:24 p.m. ET from pad 39B at NASA KSC, for launch within a two-hour window
NASA’s Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft atop mobile launcher at Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s Artemis II test flight will take 4 astronauts around the Moon and back to Earth with launch opportunities beginning April 1, 2026. Credit: Ken Kremer/SpaceUpClose.com
During the arrival event they unveiled their Zero-G simulator nicknamed “Rise”
Meanwhile, teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida are making final preparations toward beginning launch countdown activities for the Artemis II mission, set to launch as early as Wednesday, April 1.
NASA’s Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft atop mobile launcher at Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s Artemis II test flight will take 4 astronauts around the Moon and back to Earth with launch opportunities beginning April 1, 2026. Credit: Ken Kremer/SpaceUpClose.com
The Countdown starts about 49 hours before the targeted T Zero at 6:24 p.m. ET April 1
The weather forecast for launch day shows an 80% chance of favorable weather conditions with primary concerns being cloud coverage and the potential for high winds in the area. Teams will continue to monitor in the coming days.
NASA’s Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft atop mobile launcher at Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s Artemis II test flight will take 4 astronauts around the Moon and back to Earth with launch opportunities beginning April 1, 2026. Credit: Ken Kremer/SpaceUpClose.com
On Sunday, NASA is hosting a virtual Q&A at 11:30 a.m. EDT with the Artemis II astronauts from their quarantine quarters at Kennedy, as well as mission check-in at 2 p.m. with program leadership.
Get the full listing here of upcoming briefings and for the latest updates on the Artemis blog.
NASA’s Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft atop mobile launcher at Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s Artemis II test flight will take 4 astronauts around the Moon and back to Earth with launch opportunities beginning April 1, 2026. Credit: Ken Kremer/SpaceUpClose.com
The Artemis II crew will travel over 690,000 miles in a loop around the Moon and back – farther than any human before. Farther even then the current record holders – namely the three-man crew of Apollo 13
Ken Kremer of Space UpClose poses with NASA’s Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft at Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff targeting April 1, 2026. Credit: Ken Kremer/SpaceUpClose.com
Ken Kremer Recent TV Interviews
Mar 25/26 WESH 2 NBC News Orlando: Watch my comments about NASAs new Moonbase plans at the lunar South Pole. Whats up with new NASA Artemis 2,3,4 missions timeline. Whats the future of commercial LEO space stations after ISS ends. Big Problem! – lack of money !
NASA has unveiled a timeline to get astronauts up on the moon once again. This time: $20 billion are being invested into a moon base project that would see astronauts up for a specific period of time, happening in the near future. FOX35 News+ Anchor Garrett Wymer spoke with Ken Kremer, Managing Editor for Space Upclose about this and the future of space travel. Screenshot: Fox 35 Orlando/Ken Kremer. Link: https://www.fox35orlando.com/video/fmc-3f8esf3r7ac76uzx
Caption: NASA has unveiled a timeline to get astronauts up on the moon once again. This time: $20 billion are being invested into a moon base project that would see astronauts up for a specific period of time, happening in the near future. FOX35 News+ Anchor Garrett Wymer spoke with Ken Kremer, Managing Editor for Space Upclose about this and the future of space travel.
NASA’s Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft atop mobile launcher at Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s Artemis II test flight will take 4 astronauts around the Moon and back to Earth with launch opportunities beginning April 1, 2026. Credit: Ken Kremer/SpaceUpClose.com
NASA’s Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft atop mobile launcher at Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s Artemis II test flight will take 4 astronauts around the Moon and back to Earth with launch opportunities beginning April 1, 2026. Credit: Ken Kremer/SpaceUpClose.com
Watch for Ken’s continuing onsite coverage of NASA, SpaceX, ULA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and more space and mission reports direct from Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida and Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Stay tuned here for Ken's continuing Earth and Planetary science and human spaceflight news. Dr. Kremer is a research scientist and journalist based in the KSC area, active in outreach and interviewed regularly on TV and radio about space topics. Ken’s photos are for sale and he is available for lectures and outreach events.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL – In the final hours before the launch of NASA’s history making Artemis II crew around the Moon and back I was interviewed live on Fox 35 Orlando at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center by the world famous Countdown Clock in Florida. Watch the complete live interview here: https://www.fox35orlando.com/video/fmc-ssc0eojmgl3bpz7f https://www.yahoo.com/news/videos/countdown-artemis-ii-launch-rocket-163524130.html Caption: Countdown to Artemis II launch |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL – An Awesome Artemis Rainbow magically appeared over the Space Coast accompanying the start of the countdown clock for NASA’s Artemis II test flight – which officially began ticking down at 4:44 p.m. EDT to a targeted launch time of 6:24 p.m. on Wednesday, April 1 – shortly putting on a magnificent display! On March 30 and T Minus
