National Geographic Captures NASA's Artemis II Launch in Extreme Slow Motion
On April 1, 2026, at 6:35 p.m., NASA's Orion spacecraft launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida as part of the Artemis II mission. National Geographic positioned a high-speed camera 1,500 feet from the launch pad, capturing 7.5 seconds of footage at 2,000 frames per second. The Ember s2.5k camera by Freefly Systems recorded the event remotely due to safety concerns from rocket flames, powered by a 60-pound lead-acid marine battery. The resulting slow-motion video reveals engineering details like the solid rocket boosters generating 3.6 million pounds of thrust each, accounting for 75% of the force needed to lift the 5.75-million-pound rocket. Acoustic shock waves from billowing smoke were dampened with water sprayed on the pad, while birds fled the area. The launch carried four astronauts toward the moon, marking a historic moment in space exploration documented through innovative photographic technology.
Key facts
- NASA's Artemis II mission launched on April 1, 2026, at 6:35 p.m.
- The Orion spacecraft lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
- National Geographic captured 7.5 seconds of the launch in slow motion.
- A high-speed camera recorded at 2,000 frames per second from 1,500 feet away.
- The camera was a Freefly Systems Ember s2.5k model.
- Solid rocket boosters generated 3.6 million pounds of thrust each.
- The total rocket weight was 5.75 million pounds.
- Water was sprayed on the pad to dampen acoustic shock waves.
Entities
Institutions
- NASA
- National Geographic
- Freefly Systems
Locations
- Kennedy Space Center
- Florida
- United States