NASA's Artemis II mission, the first crewed lunar flight in over five decades, is set to launch Wednesday evening from Kennedy Space Center. The historic mission will carry four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the moon, marking a crucial step toward NASA's long-term lunar exploration goals.

Live coverage begins Wednesday morning with propellant loading for the Space Launch System rocket, followed by a countdown starting at 12:50 p.m. Eastern. The two-hour launch window opens at 6:24 p.m., with liftoff from Launch Pad 39B on Merritt Island, Florida. NASA will provide extensive online coverage through multiple platforms.

Viewers can watch on NASA's YouTube channel and NASA+ streaming service, with additional livestreams available on The New York Times website. The agency plans live conversations with the crew during the mission, known as "downlinks," plus a separate livestream from cameras on the Orion spacecraft. A post-launch news conference is scheduled approximately two and a half hours after liftoff.