Artemis Live coverage: NASA to launch Artemis 2, its first Moon-bound mission with astronauts since 1972 April 1, 2026 Will Robinson-Smith The four astronauts will spend more than nine days onboard their Orion spacecraft and is poised to pass the distance record set by Apollo 13 in 1970. Liftoff from Launch Complex 39B is scheduled for Wednesday, April 1, at 6:24 p.m. EDT (2224 UTC).