Space

92 stories

Kids Call Artemis II Launch 'Coolest Thing'

Crowds gathered at Kennedy Space Center Wednesday evening to watch the Artemis II rocket lift off. CBS News' Rob Marciano spoke with the Ross family, who traveled from Colorado Springs and pulled their daughters out of...

Artemis II Clears Final Check, Emotions Run High

NASA closed out its final "go/no-go" poll Wednesday as it prepared to release Artemis II on its planned mission. Launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson ran through the checklist, calling each team in turn to confirm...

Young Space Fan Prepares for Artemis II Launch

Crowds from around the country gathered near the Kennedy Space Center as the planned Artemis II liftoff approached. Among them was Matt and his son Jack, who set up at Space View Park in Titusville, Florida, arriving...

Artemis II: Returning Humans Beyond Low Earth Orbit

Artemis II marked a moment many had waited decades for: humans leaving low Earth orbit for the first time since the Apollo era. More than a headline, the mission was a testbed — scientific, political and technological...

Artemis II: American Unity and a Return to the Moon

As Artemis II prepared for liftoff from Brevard County, Florida, Congressman Mike Haridopolos — who represents the district hosting the launch — described the moment as “America at its finest.” Speaking about the...

How to Watch the Artemis II Launch Live

Updated: April 1, 2026 / 10:39 AM EDT What the mission is: Artemis II will be NASA’s first crewed trip around the moon in more than 50 years. Four astronauts will make a roughly nine-and-a-half-day round-trip voyage to...

Artemis II: Stepping Stone Toward Mars

NASA is preparing a crewed lunar flyby, a mission Jared Isaacman describes as a crucial step toward sending astronauts deeper into the solar system and, ultimately, to Mars.

Artemis II Crew Reaches High Earth Orbit

Apr 01, 2026 — About two hours after liftoff from Kennedy Space Center, the Artemis II crew reached high Earth orbit, NASA reported. The astronauts will spend roughly 24 hours running systems checks on the Orion...

Artemis II: What to Know Before the Crewed Launch

Overview NASA is preparing Artemis II, the first crewed lunar-flight mission in more than 50 years. Launching from Kennedy Space Center, the flight will test the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft...

Why Artemis II Matters: The Crew's Moon Shakedown

NASA is preparing Artemis II, the first crewed mission to travel beyond low Earth orbit in over fifty years. It will be the inaugural crewed launch of the Space Launch System (SLS) megarocket and the first crewed flight...