Track Orion in Real-Time During the Artemis II Mission

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Track Orion in Real-Time during the Artemis II Mission

March 19, 2026

When NASA’s Orion spacecraft lifts off on Artemis II, the world will be watching a historic return to the Moon—a crewed voyage that will carry astronauts around the Moon for the first time in over 50 years.

As the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket soars away from Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center, a powerful tool allows the public to follow Orion’s journey: the Artemis Realtime Orbit Website, or AROW, available on the web or the NASA mobile app.

Web view of NASA's AROW service for tracking Orion during Artemis II

Built on the same tracking technology used during the Artemis I mission, AROW converts raw telemetry from Orion’s sensors into visualizations including a mission map that anyone with an internet connection can follow, and provides real-time data such as Orion’s altitude, distance from the Earth and Moon, and elapsed mission time.

This experience will be amplified through the Lockheed Martin Space X account, @LMSpace, where followers will receive the same instant updates that appear on the AROW site and app. Posts will detail Orion’s speed, distance from the Earth and Moon and mission elapsed time as soon as the data is received at the Johnson Space Center’s Mission Control Center (MCC). Posts will also include a set of Orion’s state vectors — data that describes precisely where Orion is located in space and how it moves.

Follow @LMSpace

Image of a sample post from LMSpace on X showing real-time data during an Artemis mission

Sample of how an Artemis II post by @LMSpace on X will look during the mission.

AROW will also provide a downloadable ephemeris—a detailed dataset of these vectors that describe exactly where the spacecraft is and how it’s moving at any moment. Engineers, artists, educators and space enthusiasts can use those numbers to build custom visualizations, craft new apps or simply satisfy a curiosity about how a spacecraft travels through the void.

AROW’s modular design means the same system can be repurposed for future lunar landings, Mars expeditions, or any deep space venture that benefits from realtime public visibility. As we push humanity toward a sustained lunar presence and eventually the Red Planet, AROW ensures that every step of that bold adventure can be tracked, explored and celebrated by all.

AROW Vectors Explained

Ready to follow Orion’s path? Visit NASA’s AROW page and get Orion updates during the Artemis II mission on X at @LMSpace.