The Artemis II rocket, composed of Space Launch System (SLS) and the ship Orionarrived at Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, at 6:42 p.m. (local time) on Saturday, January 17, 2026.
This transfer marked the completion of a nearly 12-hour journey from the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB).
The transport was carried out by crawler-transporter 2, which started the approximately 6.4 kilometer (4 mile) journey several hours before, at a maximum speed of only 1.3 km/h. The equipment slowly transported the stacked rocket and ship to the launch complex.
After leaving the VAB gates, the assembly conducted a scheduled shutdown so teams could reposition the crew access arm — the structure that allows astronauts and technical personnel to access the Orion spacecraft on launch day.
In the coming days, engineers and technicians will prepare Artemis II for the “wet dress rehearsal”, an essential step which tests cryogenic propellant filling, countdown procedures and safe fuel draining. The trial is scheduled to take place no later than February 2.
The NASA does not exclude the need for additional testing to ensure that all systems are fully verified. If necessary, the rocket and craft could return to the VAB for adjustments before the final launch date.
The Artemis II test flight will carry NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, as well as Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, on an approximately 10-day mission around the Moon before returning to Earth.
The mission represents a new step in the Artemis program toward future manned operations on the lunar surface and the establishment of a lasting presence on Earth’s natural satellite, paving the way for future human missions to Mars.
Source and images: NASA. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
