How to watch Artemis 1 launch in UK: what time and role of Goonhilly Earth Station Cornwall

UPDATE 2PM MONDAY: NASA Artemis 1 moon rocket launch 'scrubbed' after hydrogen leak

Cornwall is to play a key role when NASA launches its new moon rocket on Monday, in the first step towards getting humans back onto the moon.

The flight is the first in the space agency's Artemis programme, and will be flying without a crew for this first mission.

However, the plans is for astronauts to be on board for subsequent missions, with the first crewed flight into space scheduled for 2024.

NASA then hopes that the first Artemis astronauts will land on the moon in 2025 – the first time in more than half a century.

And right in the centre of the action will be Goonhilly Earth Station on the Lizard Peninsula, which will be providing communications support for the mission and tracking its progress.

Goonhilly Earth Station in Cornwall is to help track the Artemis 1 moon mission Picture: GES

It will be working with the European Space Agency (ESA) in tracking some of the mission's CubeSats – miniature satellites that carry out research work.

Goonhilly Earth Station said: "We're thrilled to announce that we'll be providing communications support for NASA's Artemis 1 mission, launching on Monday.

"In addition to receiving signals from the Orion capsule as it makes its way around the moon and back, we'll be working with ESA's Estrack deep space antennas to track up to six of the mission's CubeSats."

The Artemis 1 launch has been given a two-hour window, beginning at 1.33pm BST in the UK (8.33am EST in the USA) on Monday. 

Artemis launch control reported at 1pm that there was currently a 40-minute 'hold delay' due to an issue found with one of the engines that they are working to resolve. 

The launch is due to take place at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida and people will be able to watch the launch live on NASA's website, or on NASA TV, which streams live on YouTube and has ongoing coverage throughout the day (see below).

The mission is expected to take 42 days, three hours and 20 minutes in total, with the rocket travelling 1.3 million miles before returning on October 10.

It will see the first launch of the new 322ft tall Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, which the agency says is the world’s most powerful rocket to date.

It will take the Orion capsule, powered by the Airbus-built European Service Module (ESM), into the moon’s orbit.

Graphic: PA

Airbus engineer Sian Cleaver is industrial manager for the ESM, and as a child dreamt about being involved in human spaceflight before getting a master’s degree in physics and astronomy from Durham University.

She told the PA news agency: “I’m ridiculously excited, and I think everybody on the team is. There’s years and years of a labour of love into this project.

“This is the first time that we will have seen one of our European service modules flying in space and going to the moon.

Graphic: PA

“I think a lot of us couldn’t quite believe it – we’ve now got the go for launch on the 29th.

“Now, I think it’s really sinking in that this is reality, this is happening, and it’s going to really start this whole new chapter of space exploration, and going to the moon. We’re on the brink of something really exciting now.”

Ms Cleaver explained that last time humans went to the Moon – some 50 years ago – it was about proving that it could be done whereas the new mission is about proving people can go there for longer and more sustainably.

It will also assess whether some infrastructure can be built on and around the Moon, allowing humans to survive on another planetary body.

The UK is part of the Artemis programme, making contributions to the Lunar Gateway – a space station currently in development with the European Space Agency – working alongside the US, Europe, Canada and Japan.