NASA's Artemis II Mission Takes Shape Ahead of Crewed Lunar Flight

NASA’s Artemis II moon rocket has begun rolling back to Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center after repairs and closeout work. The rollout started at 24:20 local time after a delay due to high winds. The integrated Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft made the 4-mile trip from the Vehicle Assembly Building. The mission will carry NASA astronauts on an approximately 10-day mission around the Moon and back. NASA is targeting a launch no earlier than April 1, with additional launch opportunities available in early April. The agency returned the rocket and spacecraft to the Vehicle Assembly Building after a February 21 wet dress rehearsal, when teams identified an issue preventing helium from flowing to the rocket’s upper stage. According to NASA, teams activated new flight termination system batteries, replaced other batteries, and carried out maintenance checks. The rollout was the second trip to the pad for the Artemis II stack this year, following a January rollout before testing and repairs. The mission marks the first crewed lunar flyby mission since the Apollo era.