Final Preparations for Artemis II
Standing Tall at Kennedy Space Center in Florida
Astronauts Declare: "We Are Ready"
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has moved the rocket for the second phase of the "Artemis" program-which aims to send astronauts back to the Moon for the first time in about half a century-to the launch pad.
The Artemis "Space Launch System" and the "Orion" spacecraft stand on the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA. Screenshot from NASA website
On January 17 (local time), NASA announced that the launch vehicle, consisting of the "Space Launch System" (SLS) rocket and the "Orion" spacecraft (capsule) for the Artemis II (second phase) mission, was transported from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The launch vehicle stands 98 meters tall and weighs 11 million pounds (about 5,000 tons).
To move the launch vehicle approximately four miles on the ground, NASA used a massive transporter-originally employed during the Apollo missions and the Space Shuttle era-that has been upgraded to handle the additional load.
After positioning the rocket on the launch pad, NASA plans to conduct a wet dress rehearsal (fuel loading test) on February 2 and will decide whether to proceed with the launch based on the results. The scheduled "launch window" next month spans five days: February 6-8 and 10-11.
This Artemis II mission, which NASA is now attempting, is designed to test the performance and safety of the rocket and spacecraft ahead of Artemis III (third phase), which aims to land astronauts on the Moon for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972-about half a century ago. Four astronauts will board the spacecraft, orbit the Moon, and return to Earth over a journey lasting about 10 days. If the mission proceeds as planned, the highly anticipated third phase, in which astronauts will attempt to land on the lunar surface, is expected to take place in 2027 or 2028.
The astronauts selected for the Artemis II and III missions include Commander Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch from NASA, as well as Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen. During a press conference at Kennedy Space Center following the start of the rocket's move, Wiseman stated, "Today is truly an amazing day," adding, "I feel a sense of awe."
All the astronauts, including Wiseman, declared that they are "fully prepared" for the mission.
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