Artimis II Timeline
Day 1, Wednesday, 4/1/2026, Launch
| CST | EST | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| 5:35 PM | 6:35 PM | Launch to low earth orbit. |
| 5:37 PM | 6:37 PM | Jettison Solid Rocket Boosters, then the Fairings. |
| 5:43 PM | 6:43 PM | Main Engine Cut Off (MECO). |
| 5:53 PM | 6:53 PM | Perigee Raise Maneuver. |
| 7:05 PM | 8:05 PM | Second Stage Ignites to send Orion into high elliptical orbit. |
Day 2, Thursday, 4/2/2026, TLI
| CST | EST | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| 1:00 AM | 2:00 AM | Orion separation from Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS). |
| 2:00 AM | 3:00 AM | Glover performs docking maneuver with the second stage. |
| 4:00 AM | 5:00 AM | Upper Stage separation burn to stay clear of the ICPS. |
| 8:15 AM | 9:15 AM | Upper Stage burn to raise the orbit. |
| 6:50 PM | 7:50 PM | Trans-Lunar Injection (TLI} burn to leave Earth orbit. |
Day 3, Friday, 4/3/2026
| CST | EST | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| ~ | ~ | Trajectory correction canceled. |
| ~ | ~ | External spacecraft survey. |
| ~ | ~ | Earth imaging. |
| ~ | ~ | CPR demonstration. |
| ~ | ~ | Media call with ABC News. |
Day 4, Saturday, 4/4/2026
| CST | EST | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| ~ | ~ | Live media event from space. |
| ~ | ~ | Moon imaging. |
Day 5, Sunday, 4/5/2026, Spacesuit Testing
| CST | EST | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| ~ | ~ | Orion Crew Survival System spacesuite testing. |
| ~ | ~ | Easter Greetings from Space. |
| ~ | ~ | Moon imaging & observations. |
| 10:03 PM | 11:03 PM | Course correction burn, 17.5 seconds. |
| 11:41 PM | ~ | Enter moon’s gravitational influence. |
Day 6, Monday, 4/6/2026, Lunar Flyby
| CST | EST | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| ~ | ~ | Orientale Basin crater is visible |
| ~ | ~ | Hertzsprung Basin crater is visible |
| ~ | ~ | Reid Wiseman names a crater 'Carroll' in honor of his wife who died 5 years ago to cancer. |
| ~ | 12:41 AM | Orion enters the Moon’s sphere of influence |
| 12:56 PM | 1:56 PM | Artimis II passes Apollo 13 distance record. |
| 5:44 PM | 6:44 PM | Orion loses communication from Earth for about 40 minutes |
| 5:45 PM | 6:45 PM | Earthset |
| 6:02 PM | 7:02 PM | Orion reaches the closest appoach to the Moon, 4,070 miles. |
| 6:07 PM | 7:07 PM | Orion is the farthest from earth, a distance of 248,655 miles, a record set previously in 1970 by Apollo 13. |
| 6:25 PM | 7:25 PM | Earthrise & reaquire communication from Earth. |
| 7:35 PM | 8:35 PM | Solar eclipse begins. |
| 8:20 PM | 9:20 PM | Flyby is Over. |
| 8:32 PM | 9:32 PM | Solar eclips ends. |
Day 7, Tuesday, 4/7/2026, Leave the Moon
| CST | EST | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| 2:30 AM | 3:30 AM | Guidance, Navigation & Control (GNC) calibration. |
| 5:00 AM | 6:00 AM | EVA rehearsal inside the cabin to don and off their suits. |
| 10:30 AM | 11:30 AM | Radiation dosimetry testing. |
| 12:25 PM | 1:25 PM | Orion exits the lunar sphere of influence. |
| 4:00 PM | 5:00 PM | Sicence experiments. |