Artemis 2 rocket on its way to the launch pad

NASA's rocket for the Artemis 2 mission, the Space Launch System (SLS) with the Orion space capsule, is on its way to the launch pad. Around 1 p.m. Central European Time, the giant vehicle began its journey of more than six kilometers from its assembly building to Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center. NASA estimates the procedure will take up to 12 hours, and those who wish can watch it live.

Artemis 2 is the first mission in over 53 years intended to take humans to the moon. The flight around the moon is expected to last about ten days, and it could happen in about three weeks. The launch window for the mission begins on February 6. Since 3 p.m. local time, the four-person crew of Artemis 2 has been answering questions in a separate NASA livestream, along with the head of the US space agency, Jared Isaacman.

Empfohlener redaktioneller Inhalt

Mit Ihrer Zustimmung wird hier ein externes YouTube-Video (Google Ireland Limited) geladen.

YouTube-Video immer laden YouTube-Video jetzt laden

Ich bin damit einverstanden, dass mir externe Inhalte angezeigt werden. Damit können personenbezogene Daten an Drittplattformen (Google Ireland Limited) übermittelt werden. Mehr dazu in unserer Datenschutzerklärung.

Still much to test

However, a great deal still needs to be tested before Artemis 2 actually lifts off, including a complete fueling of the rocket with more than 2.6 million liters of liquid propellant. If problems arise during this process, the rocket might have to make its way back to the assembly building.

If everything goes smoothly, the astronauts will be en route to the moon for about four days, fly past it as seen from Earth, and then begin their return journey, which will also take about four days, as explained in NASA's mission description. The primary goal is to test the Orion and Space Launch System. The follow-up mission, Artemis 3, is intended to bring humans to the lunar surface again.

(syt)