NASA's mega rocket has been moved to the launch pad in Cape Canaveral, Florida, as the final preparations get underway for the first crewed mission to the Moon in more than 50 years. Over almost 12 hours, the 98m-tall Space Launch System was carried vertically from the Vehicle Assembly Building on the 4-mile (6.5km) journey to the pad. Now it is in position, the final tests, checks, and a dress rehearsal will take place before the go-ahead is given for the 10-day Artemis II mission that will see four astronauts travel around the Moon.
NASA says the earliest the rocket can blast off is 6 February, but there are also more launch windows later that month, as well as in March and April.
The rocket began moving at 07:04 local time (12:04 GMT) and arrived at Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center at 18:41 local time (23:42 GMT). The rocket was carried by a huge machine called a crawler-transporter, travelling at a top speed of 0.82 mph (1.3 km/h) as it trundled along. Live coverage captured the slow-moving spectacle. NASA said the rocket will be prepared over the next few days for what it calls a wet dress rehearsal - a test for fuel operations and countdown procedures.
The Artemis II crew - NASA's Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen - were at the Kennedy Space Center watching the rocket as it was moved. In just a few weeks, the four astronauts will be strapped into a spacecraft, perched on the top of the rocket, ready to blast off to the Moon. It will be the first crewed mission to the Moon since Apollo 17 landed on its surface in December 1972.
NASA said the mission could take its astronauts further into space than anyone has been before. While Artemis II is not scheduled to land on the Moon, it will lay the groundwork for a future lunar landing led by the Artemis III mission.
Before Artemis II heads to the Moon, the first two days of their mission will be spent in orbit around the Earth. Astronauts will achieve a unique perspective of Earth from space, while also conducting important scientific observations as they fly around the far side of the Moon. The European Service Module, a key component of the Orion spacecraft, underscores the international collaboration in this mission, as it provides essential power and life support systems.
In sum, as the Artemis team works tirelessly to ensure the safety and success of the upcoming mission, the world awaits a new era of lunar exploration that promises to inspire humanity for generations to come.
NASA says the earliest the rocket can blast off is 6 February, but there are also more launch windows later that month, as well as in March and April.
The rocket began moving at 07:04 local time (12:04 GMT) and arrived at Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center at 18:41 local time (23:42 GMT). The rocket was carried by a huge machine called a crawler-transporter, travelling at a top speed of 0.82 mph (1.3 km/h) as it trundled along. Live coverage captured the slow-moving spectacle. NASA said the rocket will be prepared over the next few days for what it calls a wet dress rehearsal - a test for fuel operations and countdown procedures.
The Artemis II crew - NASA's Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen - were at the Kennedy Space Center watching the rocket as it was moved. In just a few weeks, the four astronauts will be strapped into a spacecraft, perched on the top of the rocket, ready to blast off to the Moon. It will be the first crewed mission to the Moon since Apollo 17 landed on its surface in December 1972.
NASA said the mission could take its astronauts further into space than anyone has been before. While Artemis II is not scheduled to land on the Moon, it will lay the groundwork for a future lunar landing led by the Artemis III mission.
Before Artemis II heads to the Moon, the first two days of their mission will be spent in orbit around the Earth. Astronauts will achieve a unique perspective of Earth from space, while also conducting important scientific observations as they fly around the far side of the Moon. The European Service Module, a key component of the Orion spacecraft, underscores the international collaboration in this mission, as it provides essential power and life support systems.
In sum, as the Artemis team works tirelessly to ensure the safety and success of the upcoming mission, the world awaits a new era of lunar exploration that promises to inspire humanity for generations to come.
