Artemis II Rolls to the Pad as NASA Prepares to Return to the Moon

On Saturday, 17 January 2026, NASA marked a defining moment in the modern era of human spaceflight as the Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft completed their rollout to Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. The milestone signals the start of final launch preparations for the first crewed mission to the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972 and represents a major step forward in the agency’s ambitious Artemis programme.

The rollout began at 7:04 a.m. Eastern Standard Time when the fully stacked SLS rocket emerged from the historic Vehicle Assembly Building, a structure synonymous with some of the most iconic launches in aerospace history. Towering at almost 100 meters tall and weighing nearly 5000 tonnes, the SLS and Orion were transported atop the legendary Crawler-Transporter 2, moving at a deliberate pace of about 1.6 kilonmeters per hour to protect the integrity of the integrated vehicle.

The 6.8 kilomtere journey from the VAB to Pad 39B took approximately 12 hours, with the rocket arriving at the pad at 6:42 p.m. EST. Along the way, teams executed a carefully planned pause to reposition the crew access arm, the enclosed bridge that will allow astronauts to enter the Orion spacecraft on launch day. Every aspect of the move was meticulously choreographed, reflecting the precision required for human-rated spaceflight systems.

With the vehicle now secured at the pad, NASA’s focus shifts to an intensive phase of testing and verification. Chief among the remaining milestones is the highly anticipated Wet Dress Rehearsal, currently scheduled for 2 February 2026. During this comprehensive two-day exercise, launch teams will load the SLS with more than 2650000 litres of super-cooled liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, simulating the entire launch countdown sequence up to just moments before engine ignition.

The Wet Dress Rehearsal is a critical step in validating the performance of both the rocket and the ground support infrastructure under realistic launch conditions. It allows engineers to verify fueling procedures, countdown timelines, communications and the interaction between flight hardware and ground systems. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has emphasised that a firm launch date for Artemis II will only be confirmed once this rehearsal is successfully completed.

Pending a successful test campaign, NASA is currently targeting 6 February 2026 for launch. Due to the precise orbital mechanics required for a translunar trajectory, Artemis II must lift off within carefully defined windows. These include a February window from 6 to 11 February, a March window from 6 to 11 March and additional opportunities in early April and at the end of the month. Weather conditions and technical readiness will ultimately determine the final launch opportunity.

Artemis II will carry a four-person international crew on a 10-day mission designed to thoroughly test NASA’s deep-space transportation system. Commander Reid Wiseman and Pilot Victor Glover will be joined by Mission Specialist Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. The mission will be historic on multiple fronts, with Koch set to become the first woman to travel to the Moon and Hansen the first non-American to venture beyond low Earth orbit.

Following launch, the Orion spacecraft will initially orbit Earth as the crew verifies life-support, propulsion, and navigation systems. Orion will then perform a translunar injection burn, sending the spacecraft on a free-return trajectory that will take it approximately 10300 kilometres beyond the far side of the Moon. This path ensures the spacecraft will naturally return to Earth even in the event of major system issues, while simultaneously pushing human spaceflight farther from Earth than ever before.

Although Artemis II will not include a lunar landing, its importance cannot be overstated. The mission serves as the final proving ground for the SLS and Orion before Artemis III, currently planned for 2027, which aims to land astronauts near the Moon’s south pole. Together, these missions form the backbone of NASA’s long-term strategy to establish a sustained human presence on the Moon and to prepare for future crewed expeditions to Mars.