NASA’s SLS moon rocket is on the launch pad for final testing ahead of the Artemis 2 mission, which will send four astronauts on a lunar flyby as early as February.
NASA has moved its giant moon rocket to the launch pad to begin final preparations for its first crewed lunar mission in over 50 years.
The Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft completed a slow, 12-hour rollout to Launch Pad 39B in Florida on Saturday.
This allows engineers to conduct a final series of tests before the Artemis 2 mission, which could launch as early as February 6.
The mission will send three NASA astronauts and one Canadian astronaut on a 10-day journey to fly around the moon and back to Earth.
“We’re making history,” said Artemis 2 mission management team chair John Honeycutt at a press conference.
Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen watched the rollout.
“I’m actually pretty pumped to see that,” Hansen told reporters. “In just a few weeks, you’re going to see four humans fly around the moon.”
The mission is a critical step toward NASA’s goal of returning astronauts to the lunar surface, a plan announced during former President Donald Trump’s first term.
Before launch, engineers must complete safety checks and a pre-launch simulation to ensure the rocket is viable.
The program aims to use the moon as a proving ground for future missions to Mars.
NASA is accelerating its timeline amid a new space race with China, which targets a crewed lunar mission by 2030.
China’s uncrewed Chang’e 7 mission is scheduled for 2026 to explore the moon’s south pole.
Despite the push for Artemis 2, the subsequent Artemis 3 landing mission faces likely delays to 2027.
Industry experts note SpaceX is behind on developing the Starship lander needed for that mission.
The uncrewed Artemis 1 test flight finally launched in November 2022 after multiple delays.
