NASA has begun transporting its towering Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft to the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, setting the stage for a planned April 1 mission to fly astronauts around the moon. Engineers started the 4-mile journey from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B on Thursday night, a process that can take up to 12 hours.
Key Takeaways
NASA has begun transporting its SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft to Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center for a planned April 1 mission to fly astronauts around the moon. The move follows repairs to helium system issues that delayed an earlier launch attempt. Artemis II will carry four astronauts on a 10-day lunar flyby, marking the first crewed mission of its kind since Apollo 17 in 1972.
This move comes after NASA detected and repaired issues with the rocket's helium system, which had forced the agency to postpone an earlier launch attempt scheduled for March. The repairs were completed in the Vehicle Assembly Building before the rocket was moved back to the pad for final preparations.
The Artemis II mission will carry three American astronauts—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch—and one Canadian, Jeremy Hansen, on a 10-day journey around the moon. This marks the first crewed lunar flyby since the Apollo era and is a crucial step toward NASA's goal of returning humans to the lunar surface.
The Artemis II astronauts entered pre-flight quarantine on Wednesday in Houston as they prepare for lift off. The crew will travel to Florida closer to launch to participate in various rehearsals, including suiting up and traveling to the pad.
The mission's success hinges on several final tests at the pad, including pressure tests on the helium system and countdown rehearsals. If these tests are completed without incident, Artemis II will become the first crewed mission in NASA's lunar program since Apollo 17 in 1972.
The launch window opens on April 1 at 6:24 p.m. EDT, with additional opportunities through April 6. High winds temporarily delayed the rocket's journey to the pad. If these windows are missed, the next opportunity would be around three weeks later due to the changing positions of Earth and moon.
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