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NASA's Reid Williams (commander), Victor Glover (pilot) and Christina Koch (mission specialist), along with mission specialist Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) have begun their journey to the moon.

The Space Launch System rocket lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 1, 2026 at 6:35pm ET.

Credit: NASA
Transcript
00:00One minute.
00:02Right now, the rocket does not know what the T-0 is,
00:05but coming up at T-minus 33 seconds,
00:08control shifts from the ground launch sequencer
00:10to the rocket's onboard autonomous launch sequencer, or ALS.
00:14The rocket will count itself down,
00:16but honor any holds that could come from the ground.
00:20Now, shortly after liftoff,
00:21Houston will take control of the rocket,
00:23and my colleague, Gary Jordan, will take over commentary.
00:26Gary, GLS scope area left.
00:30Great call out.
00:31The rocket is on its own.
00:33Four brave explorers ready to ride the most powerful rocket
00:39NASA has ever launched.
00:44Sound suppression water is flowing.
00:48And here we go.
00:50Ten, nine, eight, seven.
00:54RS-25 engines.
00:56Eight, four, three, two, one.
01:00Booster ignition.
01:01And liftoff.
01:04The crew of Artemis II now bound for the moon.
01:07Humanity's next great voyage begins.
01:14Good roll pitch.
01:17Roger.
01:18Roll pitch.
01:21Houston now controlling the flight of integrity
01:23on the Artemis II mission around the moon.
01:30Integrity, AMT high.
01:33AMT high.
01:35On time passing 30 seconds into the flights.
01:38Integrity passes the alternate deco.
01:40Target milestone.
01:41Mission control Houston seeing good performance
01:43on the orbit of engines.
01:44Space launch system core stage.
01:46Integrity, three miles in altitude.
01:49Traveling more than 1200 miles per hour.
02:12Mission elapsed time.
02:13Passing one minute.
02:14Approaching max-q.
02:16On, Ponce de Leon.
02:19Stan, we have you loud and clear on Ponce de Leon.
02:22Have you the same.
02:25Communication signal transfer confirmed
02:27as integrity and its crew go supersonic.
02:30Approaching 90 seconds into the Artemis II mission.
02:33Integrity is 14 miles in altitude,
02:35eight miles downrange.
02:36Traveling more than 2600 miles per hour.
02:55One minute and 50 seconds of mission elapsed time.
02:57Standing by for main engine throttle down to 85%.
03:00Ahead of solid rocket booster separation.
03:03Expected at the two minute, nine second mark.
03:07We see throttle down.
03:15Confirmed separation.
03:17Main engine's throttling up.
03:19Guidance converged.
03:28Integrity, guidance converged.
03:30Performance nominal.
03:31Upper stage RCS ready.
03:41Integrity, SM priming complete.
03:44SM priming complete.
03:48Two minutes, 45 seconds of mission elapsed time
03:50into the Artemis II mission.
03:51Thrusters on integrity and upper stage
03:54confirmed in a ready state.
03:55Ahead of service module fairing separation.
04:02Three minutes into the flight.
04:04Integrity, 49 miles in altitude, 78 miles downrange.
04:08Now passing 5,000 miles per hour.
04:25Standing by for launch abort system jettison.
04:29Houston integrity.
04:31Good last jettison.
04:32Great view.
04:35Copy jettison.
04:37Team eco, eight plus zero two.
04:42We see you sail on board, Stan.
04:46And Houston has you loud and clear on Tedrus at the common line.
04:53Outstanding, Stan.
04:54We have you the same.
04:57Three minutes, 50 seconds into the flight of Artemis II, Wiseman, Glover, Cook, and Hansen
05:01crossed the boundary to space with good comm checks.
05:04GPS signals acquired after last jettison now working on internal checks to verify accuracy.
05:10Flight dynamics officer analyzed the time of main engine cutoff,
05:13confirmed at eight minutes, two seconds, time of MECO.
05:16We have you the same.
05:18We have you the same.
05:21We have you the same.
05:23We have you the same.
05:26We have you the same.
05:27We have you the same.
05:32We have you the same.
05:33We have you the same.
05:35We have you the same.
05:35We have you the same.
05:35We have you the same.
05:36We have you the same.
05:36We have you the same.
05:36We have you the same.
05:36We have you the same.
05:37We have you the same.
05:37We have you the same.
05:39We have you the same.
05:39We have you the same.
05:39We have you the same.
05:40We have you the same.
05:41We have you the same.
05:41We have you the same.
05:44We have you the same.
05:45processing. Outstanding stand. We see the same and we have a beautiful moonrise. We're headed right at it.
06:01Approaching five minutes into the flight, Commander Reed Wiseman confirms he has
06:05visuals of his destination. GPS guidance navigation and control software finishes
06:10internal checks and sends to navigation channels.
06:16Integrity three engine press.
06:22Three engine press.
06:25On time now passing five minutes 20 seconds of mission elapsed time into the Artemis II mission.
06:30At this point three good main engines are all that's needed to carry integrity to a nominal main
06:35engine cutoff target. Though at this time we're seeing four good engines here in Mission Control
06:39Houston. Integrity 75 miles in altitude 330 miles down range approaching 10,000
06:45miles per hour.
07:03Integrity looking good at six minutes.
07:09Same on board stand.
07:13Good trajectory and engine performance. Booster officer will soon report the shutdown plan to
07:20Flight Director Judd Freeling expected at the seven minute mark.
07:25Integrity 78 miles in altitude 460 miles down range.
07:30Integrity expect nominal shutdown.
07:36Integrity copies nominal shutdown.
07:436 minutes 40 seconds of mission elapsed time shutdown plan is as expected.
07:49Again the time of MECA was confirmed at 8 minutes 2 seconds into the flight.
08:057 minutes of mission elapsed time.
08:127 minutes of mission elapsed time.
08:20Now 84 miles in altitude 650 miles down range traveling more than 15,000 miles per hour.
08:30Integrity AOA open.
08:36AOA open.
08:39The window is now open for an abort once around option that would target splashdown in the Pacific
08:44Ocean. Still following nominal ascent at this time.
08:58About 10 seconds remaining until the main engine cut off of the Space Launch System core stage.
09:04Standing by for confirmation of MECO and core stage separation.
09:34We see the same onboard stand.
09:458 minutes 40 seconds into the flight we have a nominal main engine cut off heading in the
09:49right trajectory on the way to swing around the moon. Core stage has separated, done its job.
09:55The Space Launch System upper stage, the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage or ICPS,
09:59still attached to the Orion spacecraft.
10:06Nine minutes of mission elapsed time. Integrity crew of Reed Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Cook,
10:11and Jeremy Hansen now in orbit around the Earth at the beginning of their journey to the moon.
10:15Deont
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