Artemis rollout begins as NASA moves Artemis II to launch pad

NASA began moving the Artemis II SLS and Orion stack to Launch Complex 39B on Jan. 17, and NASA says the earliest launch window for the crewed around-the-Moon mission opens Feb. 6.

NASA has moved the Artemis II Space Launch System and Orion stack toward Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center. The transfer began at 7:04 a.m. EST on January 17 and is expected to take about 12 hours to cover roughly four miles. The rollout follows months of staffing and budget concerns at the agency. Congress recently approved $24.4 billion for NASA for fiscal year 2026, and Jared Isaacman was confirmed as NASA Administrator. Key details: - The SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft began rolling to Launch Complex 39B on Jan. 17 at 7:04 a.m. EST. - The crawler-transporter will take about 12 hours to move the roughly 11-million-pound stack about four miles to the pad. - Engineers plan a wet dress rehearsal at the pad in the coming days that includes loading propellants. - NASA states the earliest launch window for the approximately 10-day Artemis II lunar flyby opens on Feb. 6. - The Artemis II crew is reported as Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen. - NASA describes the Moon as a 4.5-billion-year-old time capsule and says Artemis aims to advance science, technology, and preparation for future human missions to Mars. Summary: The rollout advances preparations for Artemis II and follows recent congressional funding and leadership changes at the agency. The immediate next steps are pad preparations and a wet dress rehearsal to establish flight readiness. The earliest launch window is Feb. 6 for an approximately 10-day mission around the Moon.