Rocket bound for the Moon set for launch rehearsal
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, topped with the Orion spacecraft, which together form the Artemis I mission, finally made it to the launch pad on 18 March. The 6.4km journey from the building where it was assembled to launch pad 39B took the 98m-high rocket 10 hours and 28 minutes.
“Rolling out of the Vehicle Assembly Building is an iconic moment for this rocket and spacecraft, and a key milestone for NASA,” said Tom Whitmeyer, Deputy Associate Administrator for Common Exploration Systems Development. “Now, we’ll use the integrated systems to practise the launch countdown and load the rocket with the propellants it needs to send Orion on a lunar journey.”
This so-called ‘wet dress rehearsal’ will be the last test before launch, which is currently expected to occur no earlier than late May or June. This uncrewed mission serves as a test of NASA’s Artemis programme, which aims to return humans, including the first woman, to the surface of the Moon.