For the first time in more than 50 years, astronauts are set to travel around the Moon on Monday-Tuesday as part of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA’s) Artemis 2 mission.
This is a big milestone in space exploration. The journey will be shown live by NASA on its website, as well as on platforms like YouTube, Amazon and Netflix.
NASA Artemis 2 mission: When and where to watch live
The live broadcast of the flypast will begin at around 6:45 pm GMT (12:15 am IST). Viewers can watch it on NASA’s official website as well as on YouTube, Amazon, and Netflix, with live commentary from astronauts and Mission Control experts.
During the mission, the crew will pass behind the Moon’s far side, which cannot be seen from Earth. NASA will livestream the entire event on multiple platforms, with commentary from both the astronauts and experts at Mission Control in Houston. However, due to the extreme distance from Earth, the video quality may not always be clear.
LIVE: Agency leaders answer media questions and provide updates on our Artemis II mission ahead of the lunar flyby set for Monday, April 6. https://t.co/3qsuYqPamK
— NASA (@NASA) April 5, 2026
The Artemis 2 crew will travel farther from Earth than any humans before. The spacecraft is expected to go beyond the Apollo 13 record by about 6,600 km, reaching a maximum distance of 406,772 km.
During the flyby, astronauts will take photos and observe the Moon’s surface, including parts of the far side that humans have never seen directly before. The lighting conditions are expected to create long shadows, making features like craters and ridges easier to see.
Artemis II mission launch details
The Artemis II mission launched on April 1 from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft for a test flight around the Moon and back.
At one point during the flyby, communication with the spacecraft will be lost for about 40 minutes when it moves behind the Moon.
So far, only astronauts from the Apollo missions, all white American men, have traveled to the Moon between 1968 and 1972. The first Moon landing happened in 1969.
From the spacecraft, the Moon will look roughly the size of a basketball held at arm’s length. Near the end of the flyby, astronauts will witness a rare solar eclipse, where the Moon blocks the Sun for about 53 minutes.
This stage of the mission is crucial, as the Moon’s gravity will start pulling the spacecraft more strongly than Earth’s, helping it swing around the Moon and travel farther into space than ever before.