Editor's note: Felix & Paul Studios' Artemis Ascending 360-degree VR experience will begin at 1:17 p.m. EDT (1733 GMT) on Sept. 3. A prerecorded Artemis 1 video will play above until start time.

NASA's Artemis 1 moon mission is ready launch into space this weekend and you can take part in a ringside experience live.

"Artemis Ascending" will use 360-degree virtual reality to let participants feel like they're standing near the Artemis 1 mission as it lifts off no earlier than Saturday (Sept. 2). You'll be able to virtually witness NASA's most powerful rocket yet, the Space Launch System (SLS) megarocket, as it lifts the Orion spacecraft on a journey to the moon. Liftoff is set for 2:17 p.m. EDT (1817 GMT).

Felix&Paul Studios aims to bring the launch to viewers who have access to Oculus Quest headsets(opens in new tab) or can watch it on the Space Explorers Facebook page(opens in new tab). The event will begin at 1:17 p.m. EDT (1717 GMT) and run through the final countdown and launch. About 90 minutes before launch, Felix & Paul will begin livestreaming views ahead of the show's start. You can also watch it at one of 200 domes and planetariums around the world.

The livestream will be hosted by retired NASA astronauts Karen Nyberg and Doug Hurley on Meta Quest, and below is a list of locations where you can catch the historic moon mission. You'll be able to ask questions of the astronauts during the livestream using the Space Explorers Facebook page comments(opens in new tab).

If you're looking for a non-VR livestream of the launch, you can watch the Artemis 1 liftoff on Space.com, courtesy of NASA TV, starting at 12:15 p.m. EDT (1615 GMT).

Venues in Horizon Worlds(opens in new tab) via Meta Quest Headsets

• Facebook 360 on the Space Explorers Facebook page(opens in new tab)
• Live and replay on Orange “Immersive Now(opens in new tab)” and LG Uplus’ U+DIVE(opens in new tab) mobile applications
• 200+ domes and planetariums around the world live and/or on-demand.

The list of domes is available via this Felix&Paul sign-up link(opens in new tab) and a partial list of participating facilities (live and on-demand) include:

• Cosm Experience Center (Salt Lake City, Utah);
• U.S. Space and Rocket Center (Huntsville, Alabama);
• Virginia Air & Space Science Center (Hampton, Virginia);
• Liberty Science Center (Jersey City, New Jersey);
• Adler Planetarium (Chicago);
• Discovery Place Science (Charlotte, North Carolina);
• Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium (Canada);
• Telus Spark Science Center (Canada);
• Planetário da Unipampa (Brazil);
• Planetarium of the Royal Observatory (Belgium);
• Museon-Omniversum (Netherlands);
• Tycho Brahe Planetarium (Denmark);
• Hamburg Planetarium (Germany);
• La Coupole (France);
• Lucern Planetarium (Switzerland);
• Armagh Observatory and Planetarium (Ireland);
• Netanya Planetarium (Israel);
• Rangsit Science Centre For Education (Thailand);
• Museum Victoria (Australia).

Felix & Paul is an immersive studio based in Montreal, Canada. Originals from the studio include the "Space Explorers" series, productions with franchises like "Jurassic World" and comedy specials for "Just for Laughs" starring Trevor Noah, Lilly Singh and other celebrities.

If you're looking to get into virtual reality, consult our best VR headset guide for immersive gaming, virtual cinema experiences or interactive workouts. Our review of the Oculus Quest 2 gave it a near-perfect 4.5 stars, making it our favorite headset right now.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with Felix & Paul's broadcast plans for "Artemis Ascending" on Sept. 3 after NASA's two-day launch delay for Artemis 1.

Elizabeth Howell

Staff Writer, Spaceflight

Elizabeth Howell, Ph.D., is a staff writer in the spaceflight channel since 2022. She was contributing writer for Space.com(opens in new tab) for 10 years before that, since 2012. As a proud Trekkie and Canadian, she also tackles topics like diversity, science fiction, astronomy and gaming to help others explore the universe. Elizabeth's on-site reporting includes two human spaceflight launches from Kazakhstan, three space shuttle missions in Florida, and embedded reporting from a simulated Mars mission in Utah. She holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Space Studies from the University of North Dakota, and a Bachelor of Journalism from Canada's Carleton University. Elizabeth is also a post-secondary instructor in communications and science since 2015. Her latest book, Leadership Moments from NASA, is co-written with astronaut Dave Williams. Elizabeth first got interested in space after watching the movie Apollo 13 in 1996, and still wants to be an astronaut someday.