NASA’s Artemis II Moon Rocket on Way to Launch Pad

The mobile launcher with NASA’s Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft secured to it is seen inside the Vehicle Assembly Building following the opening of the doors before rolling out to Launch Pad 39B, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s Artemis II test flight will take Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the CSA (Canadian Space Agency), around the Moon and back to Earth.

NASA/Joel Kowsky

The SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft that will carry four astronauts around the Moon is rolling to Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The four-mile trek began at 7:04 a.m. EST on Saturday, Jan. 17, and is expected to take up to 12 hours.

The 11-million-pound stack has been undergoing preparations for launch in the Vehicle Assembly Building since October. NASA’s crawler-transporter 2 is slowly moving it on top of the mobile launcher at a speed of about 1 mph. A live feed of the move is available on NASA’s YouTube channel.

At 9 a.m., the Artemis II crew – Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch of NASA, along with CSA’s (Canadian Space Agency) Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen – will be joined by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman for a Q&A with media in attendance, which also will be available to view live on YouTube.

Once at the launch pad, engineers in the coming days will prepare SLS and Orion for a wet dress rehearsal test that includes loading all the propellants into the rocket. This rehearsal will allow the Artemis mission management team to assess flight readiness. The earliest launch window for the approximately 10-day mission around the Moon opens on Friday, Feb. 6.