Following a successful launch on April 1, NASA’s historic moon mission, Artemis II, is officially underway. It is humanity’s first lunar voyage in more than half a century and the thrilling leadoff in NASA’s push toward a landing in two years.
On board are Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canada’s Jeremy Hansen. It is the most diverse lunar crew ever with the first woman, person of colour and non-US citizen riding in NASA’s new Orion capsule.
But where is Orion right now? Thanks to NASA’s modern tracking tools and 24/7 livestreams, we know:
Artemis latest update
NASA, in its live blog, said the Orion spacecraft’s toilet has been restored to normal operations following the proximity operations demonstration.
In its latest update, NASA said the Artemis II crew will take a four-hour nap and be awakened at 7 a.m. EDT (4:30 pm IST) on Thursday, April 2, to prepare for the perigee raise burn.
This burn will lift the lowest point of Orion’s orbit around Earth. Together with the apogee raise burn completed earlier, these burns shape the spacecraft’s initial orbit and prepare it for later translunar operations.
The crew members will then resume their sleep period around 9:40 a.m EDT (7:10 pm IST on April 3).
Here’s how you can follow the mission in real time:
Artemis Real-time Orbit Website (AROW)
This is the most detailed tracking tool available to track Orion’s location. It uses live data from Artemis II mission control at the Johnson Space Center to show you exactly where the Orion capsule is.
What it tracks: Real-time distance from Earth, distance from the Moon, velocity, and mission elapsed time.
Visuals: It provides a 3D view of the spacecraft’s trajectory, allowing you to toggle between Earth-centric and Moon-centric perspectives.
Where to find it: nasa.gov/trackartemis
The NASA App
If you want a more “immersive” experience, the official NASA app includes an AR Tracker.
How it works: Once calibrated, you can point your phone at the sky, and the app will use your GPS location to show you exactly where Orion is positioned relative to your spot on Earth.
Where to find it: Downloadable on iOS and Android.
NASA+ and YouTube
NASA is running 24/7 live coverage on its new streaming service, NASA+, and its official YouTube channel.
The Feed: You can often see live views from the “Callisto” camera system onboard Orion, as well as real-time telemetry dashboards showing engine status and cabin environment data.
During major milestones, like today’s upcoming engine burn to leave Earth orbit, NASA engineers provide live play-by-play commentary.
No moon landing for the Artemis II crew
The Artemis II astronauts will stick close to home for the first 25 hours of their 10-day test flight, checking out the capsule in orbit around Earth before firing the main engine that will propel them to the moon.
They won’t pause for a stopover or orbit the moon like Apollo 8’s first lunar visitors did so famously on Christmas Eve 1968, reading from Genesis.
But they stand to become the most distant humans ever when their capsule zooms past the moon and continues another 4,000 miles (6,400 km) beyond, before making a U-turn and tearing straight home to a splashdown in the Pacific.
