NAC, Geographical Society holding watch parties for Artemis II launch

NASA's Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) moon rocket with the Orion spacecraft, sits on Launch Pad 39-B at the Kennedy Space Center Friday, March 27, 2026, in Cape Canaveral, Fla.

You will be able to watch the historic launch of Artemis II on the five-storey Kipnes Lantern at the National Arts Centre on Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Geographical Society is also hosting a watch party at the Centre for Geography and Exploration.

Canadian Jeremy Hansen and the crew of Artemis II could lift off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida Wednesday evening.

The 10-day mission will see Artemis II slingshot around the moon on a free-return trajectory, landing back on Earth in the Pacific Ocean.

• Final preparations underway as Artemis II gets ready for liftoff

The targeted launch time is 6:24 p.m. Wednesday.

The National Arts Centre announced it will stream the launch of the Artemis II moon mission on its iconic Kipnes Lantern.

“It will be the only free outdoor public viewing of the launch in the national capital region,” the NAC said.

This will be the first live broadcast on the Kipnes Lantern, which was unveiled in 2017 as part of Canada’s 150^th anniversary.

The Kipnes Lantern is a five-storey glass tower that incorporates cutting-edge transparent LED screens to display images of artists and productions.

The Royal Canadian Geographical Society will open its doors at 50 Sussex Dr. at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, playing the Canadian Space Agency’s live stream on the Google Earth Wall in the main floor gallery.

“Enjoy complimentary snacks and pick up a copy of the latest issue of Canadian Geographic, featuring a profile of Jeremy Hansen,” the RCGS says. “Admission is free but we are gratefully accepting donations to the Society to support our storytelling and public programming.”

House of TARG on Bank Street is hosting an all ages event for the launch of Artemis II.

The event from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. will include a livestream of the launch.

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