NASA's SLS rocket rolls to launch pad ahead of Artemis II moon mission

On Jan. 17 NASA moved the 322-foot SLS rocket from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Complex 39B in a roughly 12-hour, four-mile rollout. The crewed Artemis II flight with four astronauts is scheduled no earlier than Feb. 6 and will follow prelaunch tests including a wet dress rehearsal.

As the sun rose on Jan. 17, NASA's 322-foot Space Launch System rocket rolled from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center. The move put the rocket in place for prelaunch work ahead of the crewed Artemis II test flight. Teams will complete system hookups and run prelaunch checks at the pad. The mission is planned as a crewed test flight around the moon. Key details: - The rollout covered about four miles and took roughly 12 hours, with the rocket mounted on crawler-transporter 2 and moving at about 1 mile per hour. - The Artemis II crew is reported as commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen. - The launch is scheduled no earlier than Feb. 6, as reported. - After rollout, teams will connect the rocket's systems and proceed toward a wet dress rehearsal, which includes fueling and prelaunch procedures. - The Artemis II flight follows the uncrewed Artemis I mission (Nov. 2022) and will precede Artemis III, which is intended to return humans to the lunar surface; an executive order is reported as calling for a landing no later than 2028. Summary: The rollout places the SLS rocket at Launch Complex 39B for pad processing and system checks ahead of Artemis II. The next major milestone is a wet dress rehearsal and final prelaunch testing, followed by the astronauts' visits and briefings at the launch site. The launch is scheduled no earlier than Feb. 6, with further milestones to be announced as testing proceeds.