Trending Now - Solar Storms Pose Potential Risk to Artemis II Launch Plans
WHO:
Live Science - Mark Berger, NASA's Launch Weather Officer for the Artemis II mission
Live Science - Jeff Spaulding, senior test director for the Artemis II program at NASA's Kennedy Space Center
WHAT:
Yahoo - The Artemis II mission is set to launch at 6:24 PM EDT on April 1, 2026, for a 10-day mission to lunar orbit.
Yahoo - There is a 55% chance of a low-level solar flare in the next 48 hours and a 10% chance of a dangerous X-class flare.
Yahoo - Mark Burger stated, "Solar forecasting makes terrestrial forecasting look easy, the Sun is an entity that almost has a mind of its own."
Yahoo - The Artemis II crew has been instructed to evacuate to the central storage bays of their crew module to reduce radiation exposure in the event of a solar eruption.
Yahoo - NASA started the official Artemis II countdown on March 30, 2026, at 4:44 PM EDT.
Yahoo - Fueling of the SLS rocket is scheduled to start at 7:45 PM EDT on April 1, 2026.
Yahoo - There is a 20% chance of weather-related issues preventing launch on April 1, 2026, which increases to 40% if the launch is delayed to April 2, 2026.
Live Science - An X1.4-class solar flare occurred on March 30, 2026, linked to a coronal mass ejection.
Live Science - Mark Berger stated, "It looks pretty good," regarding the weather forecast for the launch day.
Live Science - NASA's Artemis II mission is planned for launch on April 1, 2026.
Live Science - NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center issued a G2 geomagnetic storm watch for March 31, 2026, and G1 watches for April 1, 2026, and April 2, 2026.
Live Science - There is an 80% chance of favorable weather for the launch, with high ground winds being the main concern.
WHERE:
Live Science - The prelaunch news conference was held at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
WHEN:
Live Science - The planned launch date for Artemis II is April 1, 2026.
Live Science - A solar flare occurred on March 30, 2026.
WHY:
Live Science - Events like solar flares can interfere with radio communications, navigation systems, and spacecraft operations, as well as expose astronauts to harmful radiation.
Live Science - Solar flares can interfere with radio communications, navigation systems, and spacecraft operations, as well as expose astronauts to harmful radiation.
HOW:
Live Science - NASA's launch criteria are designed to avoid liftoff during severe solar conditions, but the current solar flare is being monitored rather than causing a launch delay.
Live Science - NASA's launch criteria are designed to avoid liftoff during severe solar conditions, and the current solar flare is being monitored rather than causing a launch delay.
Live Science - Mark Berger stated, "There is nothing here screaming 'no go' for any of these attempts."
(UPDATED April 1, 2026 23:09 UTC)
The Artemis II mission is set to launch at 6:24 PM EDT on Wednesday, for a ten-day journey to lunar orbit, with NASA having officially started the countdown on Monday. As the crew prepares for the mission, they have been instructed to evacuate to the central storage bays of their module to minimize radiation exposure due to a 55% chance of a low-level solar flare and a 10% chance of a dangerous X-class flare in the next 48 hours. Fueling of the SLS rocket is scheduled to begin at 7:45 PM EDT, but there is a 20% chance of weather-related issues that could delay the launch, which would increase to 40% if it is pushed to April 2nd.
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(UPDATED April 1, 2026 19:22 UTC)
on Monday, an X1.4-class solar flare occurred, which is linked to a coronal mass ejection and can potentially disrupt radio communications and navigation systems, as well as pose risks to astronauts. Despite this solar activity, Mark Berger mentioned that the weather forecast for the upcoming launch day looks promising. NASA is closely monitoring the situation, but the current flare is not expected to delay liftoff, as their launch criteria aim to avoid severe solar conditions.
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(UPDATED April 1, 2026 17:24 UTC)
NASA's Artemis II mission is set to launch on Wednesday, with an 80% chance of favorable weather, although high ground winds remain a concern. A prelaunch news conference took place at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where Mark Berger, NASA's Launch Weather Officer, emphasized that there are no significant issues preventing the launch. Meanwhile, NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a G2 geomagnetic storm watch for on Tuesday and G1 watches for on Wednesday and April 2nd, but the current solar flare is being monitored without causing any delays.