SLS successfully puts Orion into orbit
SLS less than a minute after launch
NASA’s SLS rocket today successfully launched the Orion capsule, carrying three Americans and Canadian on a planned ten-day mission swinging around the Moon and back to Earth.
During the countdown there were two minor issues, the second of which causes a slight ten-minute delay in the launch. Both were resolved very quickly, though one wonders if NASA can ever do a launch with this rocket without such issues during countdown.
The crew will remain in Earth orbit until tomorrow, checking out the capsule and its systems. Once they have confirmed these are working as expected, they will then fire their engines to head to the Moon.
The live stream can be viewed here.
As this was the first U.S. government launch this year (and the first since 2022), the leader board for the 2026 launch race remains unchanged:
40 SpaceX
16 China
5 Rocket Lab
3 Russia
SpaceX continues to lead the entire world combined in total launches, as it did in both ’24 and ’25.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
SLS less than a minute after launch
NASA’s SLS rocket today successfully launched the Orion capsule, carrying three Americans and Canadian on a planned ten-day mission swinging around the Moon and back to Earth.
During the countdown there were two minor issues, the second of which causes a slight ten-minute delay in the launch. Both were resolved very quickly, though one wonders if NASA can ever do a launch with this rocket without such issues during countdown.
The crew will remain in Earth orbit until tomorrow, checking out the capsule and its systems. Once they have confirmed these are working as expected, they will then fire their engines to head to the Moon.
The live stream can be viewed here.
As this was the first U.S. government launch this year (and the first since 2022), the leader board for the 2026 launch race remains unchanged:
40 SpaceX
16 China
5 Rocket Lab
3 Russia
SpaceX continues to lead the entire world combined in total launches, as it did in both ’24 and ’25.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
I suspect this is april fools, but another forum is going on about toilet issues. Agenda free news guy on X:
https://x.com/lookner/status/2039498822292799835?s=20
Fixed
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FzBv_7S1m34
I am glad SLS worked as advertised, but that rocket sheds a lot of parts on the way to orbit.
This was great to watch. I am excited we’re finally taking the steps to get back to the moon. It was a beautiful liftoff.
Now, can we get some satellites with cameras on them so we can watch this thing in orbit? Why can’t we do chase plane type work with satellites? Elon has made it possible.
Nothing to see here. Blair, they put extra parts on NASA rockets to do that. The investigation team has to have work later, after all.
Good so far. What time do they fire the engines to head to the moon?
John—
I actually watch Steve quite a bit (Agenda Free TV) because he carries the Israel & Beirut live tv feeds on a regular basis. Steve is pretty stupid for being a graduate of an ivy league school, and despite the name of his show, he has a definite agenda, he just likes to think he doesn’t.
– First time he covered a rocket launch a few years ago, he was astonished there was a minor hold.
——————————————–
NASA just blew a huge amount of PR value by totally botching the launch coverage. What DEI Hire is running the video cameras and why are they all on Adderall?
Even when they gave us long-range tracking, they couldn’t be bothered to give us some simple telemetry.
And, what is with the stupid animation?
“50-50, The Flight of Apollo 8”
John Batchelor / Robert Zimmerman / David Livingston
https://archive.org/details/50-50-the-flight-of-apollo-8-with-robert-zimmerman-john-batchelor
(19:18)
Kevin,
If it actually takes place, the trans-lunar injection (TLI) burn is supposed to be at 8:12 p.m. EDT (0012 GMT on April 3) tonight. The go/no go decision for the burn will obviously be shortly before that. NSF will have a dedicated stream for that, BTW.
https://archive.org/details/GPN-2000-001357
“Apollo 8 reentry photograph taken by a U.S. Air Force ALOTS (Airborne Lightweight Optical Tracking System) camera mounted on a KC-135A aircraft flown at 40,000 ft altitude, splashed down at 10:15 a.m., December 27, 1968, in the central Pacific.”
I watched NSF, which is pretty good for what is essentially an amateur organization, founded by a Brit no less!
Although far from perfect, they do a decent job of photo coverage, not stepping on launch control announcements, and avoiding commentary by vapid know-nothings!
From Ray Van Dune: “vapid know-nothings”
What a great, and useful phrase. With proper attribution, I will use this phrase. It applies to far too many in Congress, and most of the Drive-By Media.
Still praying for the safe return of all the souls in space. Having watched since the Mercury Seven days, the re-entry is always a high stress event. The Orion re-entry is doubly so with the problematic heat shield.
To Blair,
In terms of debris shedding, that is where Starship has a decidedly solid lead.
Mission tracker
https://www.sunnywingsvirtual.com/artemis2/timeline.html
Hey thanks Ronaldus!
I was going to call them “Valipdettes”, but it sounds more sexist than I actually am… I think.
It was a nice launch. Coverage was pretty good.
I am happy its in space and working fine.
My big question is. Why does the inside look like something out of a 70’s movie? More buttons than actual functions. Fighter aircraft are trying to get rid of buttons but NASA wants more.
It has the same interior room as an Escalade. Imagine being trapped inside your SUV for ten days. Climbing over everyone else to relieve yourself behind a curtain at best.
I’m glad it’s going well and I hope that the crew don’t have to deal with anything worse than a malfunctioning toilet.
However, for what they’re actually doing at such vast cost, they should have called the mission Apollo 8 Billion.
pzatchok asked: “My big question is. Why does the inside look like something out of a 70’s movie? More buttons than actual functions. Fighter aircraft are trying to get rid of buttons but NASA wants more.”
NASA likes the buttons. I don’t blame them, because pushing buttons (and keyboard keys ) is far more fun than touching a screen. SpaceX preferred the touchscreen to buttons and mostly won the argument for the Crew Dragon, but left in a few buttons at the bottom of the display screen just for NASA’s benefit. The customer is always right, but apparently not always completely right.
SpaceX’s reasoning was that the display screen only shows the “buttons” and displays that are appropriate for the phase of the mission they are in. I don’t know, however, whether Apollo 12, had they followed SpaceX’s philosophy, would have had the correct button at the correct time to set SCE to Aux:
https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/the-evening-pause/have-they-tried-sec-to-aux/
You can’t escape Outlook glitches, even while escaping the Earth.
https://nypost.com/2026/04/02/science/artemis-ii-crew-stalled-by-microsoft-outlook-blunders-hours-after-takeoff/
One might prefer physical controls in a spacecraft, for the same reasons touchscreens are becoming less prominent in cars: it’s a more positive and robust control. Buttons and switches can be manipulated without looking. With toggles, the system state can be felt. Especially important in a high-radiation environment, mechanical controls are not subject to bit-flipping. And, physical controls satisfy the basic Human need to use a physical action, to produce an action.
Amen to that.
An interesting take
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q8N7fnKGKY
Great Orion is running Windows and operating a Howard Walowitz designed loo.
Some call Arty II forgettable.
I think it timeless.
https://redstate.com/jenniferoo/2026/04/05/artemis-astronaut-extemporaneously-delivers-the-most-profound-easter-message-imaginable-n2200979