Space enthusiasts will soon have the opportunity to witness a significant event as Netflix plans to live stream the Artemis II mission, allowing viewers to observe the spacecraft’s flyby around the Moon from anywhere on Earth. Many are curious about the technical aspects enabling this feat, particularly the Internet technology utilized by NASA for live streaming a space event to Earth.
The livestream for the Artemis II flyby mission is scheduled to commence at 1 PM ET on April 7 (10:30 AM IST on April 7). This mission holds immense interest as it signifies NASA’s first human lunar mission in over five decades. The launch at the Kennedy Space Centre drew an estimated crowd of over 400,000 spectators and garnered a massive online audience of 17 million viewers on YouTube. While initial plans indicated Netflix’s involvement in streaming the departure, last-minute changes led to the confirmation of Netflix broadcasting the Artemis II flight around the Moon.
In addition to Netflix, viewers can access the livestream on various platforms such as YouTube, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, and NASA Plus.
Regarding the technology behind the livestream, NASA has implemented advanced laser communication technology for the Artemis II mission. This technology utilizes infrared light instead of traditional radio waves to transmit data to and from space. Referred to as the Orion Artemis II Optical Communications System (O2O), this system facilitates the transmission of more data, including 4K high-definition video and high-resolution images, at speeds of 260 megabits per second. The information is relayed to NASA through laser signals received at ground stations in Las Cruces, New Mexico, or Table Mountain, California, depending on cloud coverage.
During the mission, a communication blackout is anticipated when the crew loses contact with mission control in Houston, Texas, at 23:47 BST on Monday, April 6 (4:17 AM IST on Tuesday, April 7) as the spacecraft moves behind the Moon. This communication link with mission control is vital for astronauts during deep-space missions.
The Artemis II mission commenced with the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket lifting off from the Kennedy Space Centre on April 1, 2026, at 6:35 p.m. EDT (4:05 a.m. IST on April 2, 2026). The crew initiated its journey towards the Moon on April 3, 2026, following a critical engine firing that propelled them out of Earth’s orbit approximately 42 hours post-launch.
The Artemis II crew comprises four astronauts: NASA Commander Reid Wiseman, NASA Pilot Victor Glover, NASA Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen.
Despite a safe progression of the 10-day journey towards the Moon, a minor technical glitch was encountered by the crew. Post-liftoff, astronauts faced issues with Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft’s email platform, on the shuttle’s personal computing devices (PCDs). Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman requested remote assistance from mission control in Houston to address the Outlook malfunction.
Netflix has partnered with NASA to offer NASA Plus content on its platform. However, Netflix has only broadcasted a single event so far, which took place on July 31 last year.