NASA’s Artemis 2 mission is gearing up to roll out its moon rocket to the launch pad on Saturday, January 17th. This is an exciting event you can watch live.
The massive Crawler-Transporter 2 will transport the Artemis 2 Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft from the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center to Launch Pad 39B. This 4-mile journey will start as early as 7 a.m. EST and may take about eight to ten hours. You can catch the live stream of this event on NASA’s channels, or check out the video here.
Artemis 2 is set to send NASA astronauts—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency—on a 10-day mission around the moon. This will be the first crewed trip to the moon since Apollo 17 back in 1972!
After the rollout, NASA will perform several tests with the SLS and Orion. A crucial test is the wet dress rehearsal, where the rocket will be loaded with cryogenic propellants and undergo a simulated launch countdown. This is scheduled for February 2nd. The results from this test will impact the launch timeline. It’s worth noting past missions faced challenges; Artemis 1, for example, encountered liquid hydrogen leaks that delayed its launch.
Artemis 1, which successfully took an uncrewed Orion to lunar orbit and back, started on November 16, 2022, and ended with a splashdown on December 11, 2022.
For Artemis 2, NASA hasn’t set a specific launch date yet, as the wet dress rehearsal needs to be completed first. However, potential launch windows currently include dates in February, March, and April.
This mission represents a return to human exploration of the moon, which many see as crucial for future journeys to Mars. Experts believe that establishing a sustainable presence on the moon will provide vital knowledge and experience for future deep-space exploration.
Stay tuned for more updates as the mission unfolds!
